Quote:
Originally Posted by Coldlight
It's linguistic corruption. Just because a misused and abused term is very widespread, doesn't mean it's correct. Also, assuming something is true because a lot of people now use it is a logical fallacy called argumentum ad populum or bandwagon fallacy (e.g. "Xs of people can't be wrong", where X is plural). It only proves that a belief is popular, not that it is true.
You are right that meanings change over time, but it doesn't change the fact that the corruption of the word stems from incorrect usage. Also, I don't think usage of the term "shounen" in English warrants splitting it into "traditional" and "contemporary" definitions. There is only one definition. The other is a corruption of the definition.
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Corruption, distortion, evolution, change... All are words with similar meanings referring to the development of language over time, albeit with different tones. Which one you use reflects your emotions regarding the issue.
Bringing up
argumentum ad populum here doesn't change a thing. Consensus is the very mechanism by which word meanings are agreed upon after all. Meanings evolve over time according the context they are developed in. In the first place, language is arbitrary by nature, so the only thing that matters is that the equivalent meanings attached to a word are shared among a large group of people.
How the change in meaning came about is irrelevant. The important thing is that it catches on and becomes a common symbol for a group of people.