Do you think using the wrong words is okay if people understand it? (1 Viewer)

[Ahsoka]

The most prominent example I can immediately think of is using coronavirus instead of COVID-19. If you say that you or someone else got sick with coronavirus people will understand you, but that isn't correct as coronavirus isn't a disease but a family of viruses that cause diseases, including SARS, COVID-19, and MERS. Do you think that it's something that people should change and should make an effort to use the correct terms, it do you think it's not a big deal? Of course it applies to many words, not just this, but this is what made me wonder about it because of how often I see it.

 

[Mangoey]

Yeah I think it's fine to use the wrong terms, maybe because it happens so much and it'd be hard to fix
Plus sometimes if you use the correct term people won't understand you and if you try to explain things to them, they'll get annoyed.

 

[daesuki]

I mean for your example, it doesn't matter which version, but for some things (can't think of an example off the top of my head), it is better to use the actual term.

 

[Skinnny]

Well, I would prefer the usage of the correct term but that is impossible. Any word that is easy on the tongue becomes global and people don't bother to look for the correct term.

That being said, I would use the common
terminology so people can understand me, instead of being a cynical jerk

 

[Ahsoka]

I mean for your example, it doesn't matter which version, but for some things (can't think of an example off the top of my head), it is better to use the actual term.

True but for example if there's another coronavirus outbreak a lot of people could probably think it's the same as the current one when in reality there are significant differences. I feel like that could have happened considering SARS was so known, but COVID-19 is really different, it spreads more easily but SARS had a much higher mortality rate. If people had used corinavirus instead of SARS I could definitely see people making that mistake and thinking that they were the same disease.

 

[daesuki]

True but for example if there's another coronavirus outbreak a lot of people could probably think it's the same as the current one when in reality there are significant differences. I feel like that could have happened considering SARS was so known, but COVID-19 is really different, it spreads more easily but SARS had a much higher mortality rate. If people had used corinavirus instead of SARS I could definitely see people making that mistake and thinking that they were the same disease.

True. Honestly, I kinda forgot about SARS yes I know you mentioned it in the OP shhhh

 

[bulletproof]

hmmm, it depends on the mistake I guess. There are situations when it is not that bad, but sometimes the confusion is huge and it bothers me a little. It is also difficult to change something that is already way too used like the coronavirus term because at first it was very used by media under the 'coronavirus' term

 

[AmysTeri]

Depends. In your particular example, I think it's fine. I mean, a lot of folks I know (lol) call it The Rona xD. The local news stations alternate between Covid19 and "the coronavirus (pandemic)." Say a new strain pops up five years from now and they dub it C25. I think then they will really put emphasis on the number rather than the general coronavirus....

Or we'll just keep calling it the rona.

 

[blueberries]

Technically it's coronavirus so it's okay to me. As long as it's something that people understand. I'm sure that if there was other outbreak people wouldn't call that also coronavirus but with other name to not confuse it with this one. I guess if the name was kept as Chinese Flu or sth like that then it could be more harmful since it could give wrong idea to people.

So as long as it's something that people understand and isn't harmful it's ok. Language is supposed to evolve as it's used and it's supposed to be owned by masses not just some "professors".

 

[Ahsoka]

Depends. In your particular example, I think it's fine. I mean, a lot of folks I know (lol) call it The Rona xD. The local news stations alternate between Covid19 and "the coronavirus (pandemic)." Say a new strain pops up five years from now and they dub it C25. I think then they will really put emphasis on the number rather than the general coronavirus....

Or we'll just keep calling it the rona.

That just reminds me of roomba for some reason

 

[Ahsoka]

another controversial way people have named the virus is the Chinese virus

Yeah I think using coronavirus is better than that

 

[yeji]

I really get your point it's just that news here always use coronovirus instead of covid-19 so I am not sure if some countries just don't care about the rigt term or if they decided to use corono instead cause of some reason.

 

[NASA]

I think for the example given its always better to use the official term but it isnt the end of the world if you just say coronavirus. Though if you want to be taken aeriously then you should be using the official name, especially news outlets and government officials, it really isnt that hard to call it covid-19 rather than the over sensationalised coronavirus. If the wrong term being used wasnt just incorrect but also offensive however (i.e. Chinese virus) then yeah anyone actually using that term can shut up point blank.