tdh@frog.UUCP (T. Dave Hudson) (08/27/85)
(posted from beautiful Bellevue, WA.) The adding and refinement of definitions to terms is not simply a matter of social consensus. Words are used not only for communication but also for thought. That fact is part of the reason that concepts are values. Changing, adding, or obsoleting any of the possibly many definitions of terms requires considering where the words involved fit into the language. In any case, someone who did believe that consensus was the basis for definitions would have to deal with the period of transition between the origination and acceptance of any definition in question. And how are the avante-garde to know whether a definition will ultimately gain acceptance? David Hudson