traprunner wrote:Auriel wrote:Considering the majority of this forum is indeed sub-par in the use of English, secondary meaning can hardly be given the credit it would in a normal, English-speaking community.
Or can it?
In this case secondary meaning should be given credit. If I was to raid and attack your account I would be raping your account. I think it is great to see a person that does not speak English as their first language use words in the correct context especially if the word has multiple meanings.
Ah, but of course.. I do appreciate the underlying sentiment, being exaltation at a non-native producing sentences and speech patterns in full accordance to the English language's broad spectre.. I wonder how many of your prized linguistic padawans are aware of those second meanings you showed us. How many people here would actually see the "rape" of an account as the "pillaging" and not immediately, through association, think of actual rape in the carnal version..
How many people would simply mean they *actually* feel like raping a person, namely the one owning the account in question, and take that wildly disturbed mindset on into their language, thus reflecting their inner darkness upon the minds of others?
Should such a stage be granted as for those to impress us all with their ideas?
It is essentially the base question of whether to apply censure or not.
I say we should.. but for other reasons. The average human is oblivious of the notion that language has a mental effect.. and repeated, simplistic representations of detestable ideologies, ideas, thoughts and other mental processes do have their influence on the young.
Protect the children!
Jokes aside.. it is the responsibility of native speakers to instruct those whose language skills are sub-par, and who are able to learn anything, of the nature of their use of language. It is imperative they learn.
ps; If we extend your earlier "secondary meaning" argument, "raping someone's ass" is perfectly logical and acceptable. Indeed, street language often describes "a person" as "an ass" in a simple poetic manner of "pars pro toto". One mentions the arse, but is talking about the person.
Raping said arse is nothing more than applying your deferred meanings to a single person.
Contextually, it is no different. Depending of course, on one's extent of understanding English.. which was my primary point in my first substantial post on the matter.
