As language professionals, we know that language is always evolving—as it should. Keeping up with the current language in the fields we work in, and making judgment calls about when a particular evolving usage is acceptable, are things that editors do every day.
Bring one or two interesting issues that you’ve encountered to the table for discussion, and any questions about evolving usage that you’d love to have input on from your colleagues.
For example: Has your employer recently changed “First Nations” to “indigenous people” on its style sheet? Have you recently decided “if I was in charge” is okay where you once would have insisted on “if I were in charge”? Do most of the texts you edit (or write or read) now accept the singular “they”?
Have you ever used the Google Ngram viewer to find out how the frequence of a word’s use has changed over time?
What other resources do you turn to for guidance in evolving usage?
*Image: “Cuneiform Tablet: Messenger Tablet by Neo-Sumerian” via The Metropolitan Museum of Art, licensed under CC0 1.0
Come Join Us!
When: February 8, 7 to 9 p.m. Doors open at 6:30.
Where: Ongwanada Resource Centre, 191 Portsmouth Ave.
Editors Kingston members and visitors welcome.