Repost: Dictionary Definitions
I wrote this on the old Red Book site during my first trimester with Jaeger. It is here reposted in honor of Barbara and Emeth:
–November 16, 2004–
Here I begin a discourse on a set of words that occur much too frequently in my vocabulary of late: nausea, nauseous, and nauseated.
So, the question is, how does one use a dictionary? What is a dictionary’s purpose? Should we conform our usage to the dictionary or should the dictionary conform to our usage? Is a dictionary prescriptive or descriptive?
According to Elements of Style, this word set is one instance where you must guard against showing your ignorance. Certainly, you don’t want to incorrectly use a word. But, even according to the most current American Heritage Dictionary, ‘nauseous’ means “causing nausea; sickening.” Thus, the sentence “The nauseous rollercoaster finally screeched to a halt” is correct, while “The pregnant lady was nauseous” is not — at least, unless she is causing nausea in others. The correct word to use in the latter sentence is ‘nauseated.’
Interestingly, since my pregnancy I have noted how these words are used and I have never once heard it used “properly.” Everyone uses ‘nauseous’ to mean ‘nauseated,’ and ‘nauseated’ is not a part of anyone’s working vocabulary. The “proper” definition of ‘nauseous’ has now been assigned to ‘nauseating.’
So, when does a word’s definition change? When can we declare a word to have shifted meaning? Currently, the American Heritage Dictionary lists “Affected with nausea” as a second definition, preceded with the phrase “Usage Problem” and a Usage Note following the entry detailing various Usage Panel opinions on various constructions.
The Oxford English Dictionary is so vast because it includes all observed definitions of a word from it’s first recorded use until the present. Meanings of almost every word have changed considerably over time. So are they not now changing? When does a change in meaning shift from incorrect usage to completely acceptable usage? It occurs. How can one balance striving for excellence, precision, and correctness while still acknowledging reality?
