On the evolution of language

On Facebook the other day, I referred to my “mentee,” a 13-year-old girl I have committed to mentoring through her high school graduation (and beyond as far as we’re both concerned). Two people popped up to comment. One said, “’Mentee’ is an abomination of language. A mentor is not one who ments; ‘Mentor’ is/was a proper Greek name. I prefer protégé as the word to describe that to which you refer.” Another agreed and referred me to Robert Coles’ The Call of Service, which has been added to my reading list.

Then another friend chimed in to say “…I believe all Greeks and Geeks should begin using it often. Why?"

How does a word get into a Merriam-Webster dictionary?"

The answer is simple: usage!”

It made me stop to ponder my use of language. I tend to be in the creative and practical camp, who, like the friend above, believes that usage trumps history. That language can and should evolve, that new words can breathe life into both the spoken and the written word.

I also believe in a formal and informal language so that what I write on Facebook, which I consider a virtual coffee klatsch, an over-the-back-fence chat, is more informal than what I write for publication, be it under my own name or for my clients.

I know there are many purists out there who will argue with me and I welcome that argument. Tell me what was wrong with using “mentee”? Should there be an informal and formal use of language? Are you allowed to write more casually on your personal Facebook page than on your organization’s website?