Category talk:Fictional linguists

This category was nominated for renaming to Fictional linguists and interpreters on 9 October 2014. The result of the discussion was no consensus.

Fictional characters

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Linguistics

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Writing

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Emilio Sandoz

I can't figure out how to do it, but Emilio Sandoz (from the novel The Sparrow and its sequel Children of God]] should absolutely be on this list. The man speaks something like 15 languages and does a fair amount of academic stuff as well. JessicaDanger (talk) 15:28, 1 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Untitled

I changed the category definition to a more accurate definition of linguist, which can mean someone who speaks many languages, or one who studies linguistics (and does not necessarily speak many). However, I'd like to explicitly exclude characters who are merely bilingual or trilingual. That would make the category extremely big and not terribly meaningful. -HKMarks 02:47, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Modern definition of linguist

Many of these characters are not linguists in the modern sense of the word, i.e. they do not study languages from a scientific perspective, they are polyglots (individuals who can speak several languages). Surely a category titled "fictional polyglots" would be of more use for many of these characters?

Having analysed the pages that are listed, I found that the following were linguists who study within the academic field of linguistics: Jason Bourne, Daniel Jackson, Elwin Ransom, Hoshi Sato and Donald Trefusis. The remaining members of this category should be categorised as fictional polyglots. If linguistic translation from one language to another is the focus here, then it would make more sense that they are listed as fictional language interpreters or fictional translators.

Put simply, grouping the terms linguist, interpreter and translator into one category, is not only messy, but also an anachronism in 2016.

For reference ^[1]

^ "Linguist". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2000. ISBN 978-0-395-82517-4.

ThePhantasos (talk) 16:51, 1 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

As you refer to the American Heritage Dictionary of 2000: Please have a look at the entry for linguist in the current (2016) AHD edition. The first definition given is “A person who speaks several languages fluently.” And 2016 seems modern enough, doesn’t it? Love —LiliCharlie (talk) 17:47, 1 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

We base category membership on concepts and not on the bundles of everyday meanings that words might happen to have. Thanks. Uanfala (talk) 18:29, 1 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Exactly, and I don't know why ThePhantasos mentions the AHD or refers to some supposedly "modern definition" in the title of this discussion. Judging by its items it seems obvious that this category was intended for fictional polyglots. Love —LiliCharlie (talk) 18:45, 1 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

If this category was intended for fictional polyglots then it must be renamed to Category:Fictional polyglots, sitting somewhere under Category:Multilingualism. Category:Linguists covers the other meaning. Uanfala (talk) 19:16, 1 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, Uanfala, for clarifying the issue. I'm well aware that the dictionary sense for linguist as polyglot often comes fist in dictionary entries (that's an issue for lexicographers to resolve). Regardless of "modern definitions", I take it all three of us are now in agreement that Category:Fictional polyglots would be a preferred naming for this category?, so that it aligns with the Category: Multilingualism. Meanwhile, a new category may be created for: Category:Fictional linguists, so that it should align with Category:Linguists, in the sense of a "scientist of language". Is this correct? ThePhantasos (talk) 12:49, 2 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Yep, I agree. LiliCharlie? Uanfala (talk) 16:12, 2 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Also, it might be better to further split off Category:Fictional interpreters (going under Category:Interpreters). Uanfala (talk) 16:17, 2 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

My proposal is to have the following categories: