[70forty]

By what authority is this the technically correct word? Some dictionary or grammar book? Where did they get their authority to determine this?

Really the only way to decide what is "correct" where language usage is concerned is to see how people actually speak/write, AKA a descriptive approach. Do a corpus study and then you'll have some basis to make a claim about what is and isn't standard usage.

[kjhughes]

Thankfully professional lexicographers balance both emerging and traditional usage norms in their recommendations.

[joshuapants]

>Really the only way to decide what is "correct" where language usage is concerned is to see how people actually speak/write, AKA a descriptive approach.

This is tangentially related: the English language is a bit unusual in how flexible it is to change along with common usage. Other languages can have their usage dictated by the government; Germany, France, and Japan have all had noted language reforms that in some cases radically changed the language. That is not to say, however, that all their citizens automatically start following these reforms perfectly because lifelong habits are hard to break.

[70forty]

Do you know some examples of this for French, German or Japanese?

I know about the French Academy, for example. I would have assumed their influence didn't extend much beyond orthographic/spelling conventions.

[gr3yh47]

Saying I can only make a claim if I have done a certain study is somewhat absurd, especially when you are, with that suggestion, claiming to be the authority on how to determine what is correct.

[normloman]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_description

^^^

Read it for your own good.

[gr3yh47]

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

^^^

Read it for your own good

[normloman]

And I'm sure if you asked editors at big publishing houses or english teachers, most would tell you to prefer "themselves." Themself is a new construction that hasn't caught on. Purveyors of "standard" English have to err on the side of conservatism.

[70forty]

I gave you a method for determining standard usage.