David Littlewood wrote:
In article , Floyd Davidson
writes


It is just an extension of the concept that a "normal" or
"standard" lens is called a "prime lens". And since there are
already at least two very good terms for that meaning, it does
seem rather natural for the meaning of "prime" to migrate to a
somewhat broader scope.

I had never seen that usage before this discussion, despite being a keen
photographer for several decades. The universal term for such lenses, in
the days when they were the most common of SLR lenses, was always
"standard".

Maybe it was a US usage, but I don't even recall seeing it in US texts.

You may have a point that once a respectable term has been utterly
*******ised, it makes little difference if it sinks into further
degeneration.

I suggest that, whatever the rights and wrongs of the meaning of
language (and I do think you have a good point, regrettable though it
is) the use of such a *******ised words is best avoided by those who
value precision of language. Those who do use it may be suspected by
some of slipshod linguistic standards

David


"English is the most widely learned and used foreign language in the
world, and, as such, many linguists believe it is no longer the
exclusive cultural emblem of "native English speakers," but rather a
language that is absorbing aspects of cultures worldwide as it grows in
use. Others believe that there are limits to how far English can go in
suiting everyone for communication purposes. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language