The Prime Minister’s now internationally famous speech in which she called Mr Abbott on his misogyny prompted Macquarie Dictionary to update its definition of the word. Some people didn’t like this. But dictionary meanings need to reflect how people use words, because that is where the meanings come from.
Defining words is a more complicated process than most people realize. The now late Professor Colin Yallop, a previous Director of the Macquarie Dictionary, wrote:
“It is unwise to assume that meaning is captured in dictionary entries … Dictionary definitions can and should be informative and helpful, and, when well written, they provide a paraphrase of explanation of meaning. But the meaning is not necessarily fully contained or exhaustively captured within such a definition”.
Defining words is a more complicated process than most people realize. The now late Professor Colin Yallop, a previous Director of the Macquarie Dictionary, wrote:
“It is unwise to assume that meaning is captured in dictionary entries … Dictionary definitions can and should be informative and helpful, and, when well written, they provide a paraphrase of explanation of meaning. But the meaning is not necessarily fully contained or exhaustively captured within such a definition”.
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