The result of the term getting popular and a large number of idiots not understanding what it means and still continue to use it incorrectly.
The definition of weeb originally meaning someone who rejects their own culture in an attempt to be more Japanese and becoming a term used to describe anyone who watches a lot of anime is an example of this.
The meaning of “weeb” changing is fine. It is not something any reasonable person should be upset by.
The meaning of “POV” changing among some people is at the end of the day probably also fine, the only difference is that I don’t get it. Like, you arrive from the original to the present meaning of “weeb” through hyperbole, and the result is a new usage which fills in some gaps and doesn’t leave any gaps behind.
POV in its new usage serves a social function, it’s used as a discourse marker, but the path from meaning A to meaning B feels a lot less clear, and this is what bothers me.
In any case I don’t think it’s right to make all this talk of “idiots” and “incorrect”. That’s just a flat-out bad and reactionary way to think about language change.
Edit: Hell, to what extent was it even people misinterpreting the original meaning, as opposed to reinterpreting the meaning more deliberately? For instance if someone sees that TikTok videos with the word “POV” tend to get more views, I could see that person bending the meaning a little, and thinking that if anyone complains, that’s still engagement. That’s maybe a bit more troubling but it’s also a better explanation than just “people are dumb” – “people are dumb” is just incurious misanthropy, it acts like changes in meaning caused by misinterpretations are entirely arbitrary and unworthy of any further analysis or discussion.
The result of the term getting popular and a large number of idiots not understanding what it means and still continue to use it incorrectly.
The definition of weeb originally meaning someone who rejects their own culture in an attempt to be more Japanese and becoming a term used to describe anyone who watches a lot of anime is an example of this.
The meaning of “weeb” changing is fine. It is not something any reasonable person should be upset by.
The meaning of “POV” changing among some people is at the end of the day probably also fine, the only difference is that I don’t get it. Like, you arrive from the original to the present meaning of “weeb” through hyperbole, and the result is a new usage which fills in some gaps and doesn’t leave any gaps behind.
POV in its new usage serves a social function, it’s used as a discourse marker, but the path from meaning A to meaning B feels a lot less clear, and this is what bothers me.
In any case I don’t think it’s right to make all this talk of “idiots” and “incorrect”. That’s just a flat-out bad and reactionary way to think about language change.
Edit: Hell, to what extent was it even people misinterpreting the original meaning, as opposed to reinterpreting the meaning more deliberately? For instance if someone sees that TikTok videos with the word “POV” tend to get more views, I could see that person bending the meaning a little, and thinking that if anyone complains, that’s still engagement. That’s maybe a bit more troubling but it’s also a better explanation than just “people are dumb” – “people are dumb” is just incurious misanthropy, it acts like changes in meaning caused by misinterpretations are entirely arbitrary and unworthy of any further analysis or discussion.