UniWiki:Manual of Style/Words to watch: Difference between revisions

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Words such as ''supposed'', ''apparent'', ''alleged'' and ''purported'' can imply that a given point is inaccurate, although ''alleged'' and ''accused'' are appropriate when wrongdoing is asserted but undetermined, such as with people awaiting or undergoing a criminal trial; when these are used, ensure that the source of the accusation is clear. ''So-called'' can mean ''commonly named, falsely named'', or ''contentiously named'', and it can be difficult to tell these apart. Simply ''called'' is preferable for the first meaning; detailed and attributed explanations are preferable for the others.

Punctuation can also be used for similar effects: quotation marks, when not marking an actual quote, may indicate that [[Wikipedia:scare quotes|the writer is distancing herself or himself]] from the otherwise common interpretation of the quoted expression; the use of ~~{{em|~~[[UniWiki:Manual of Style/Text formatting#Emphasis|emphasis]]}} may turn an innocuous word into a loaded expression. Such occurrences should also be avoided.

Punctuation can also be used for similar effects: quotation marks, when not marking an actual quote, may indicate that [[Wikipedia:scare quotes|the writer is distancing herself or himself]] from the otherwise common interpretation of the quoted expression; the use of ''[[UniWiki:Manual of Style/Text formatting#Emphasis|emphasis]]'' may turn an innocuous word into a loaded expression. Such occurrences should also be avoided.

=== Editorializing ===

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}}

{{hatnote|See also: [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:As of#Precise language|Wikipedia:As of#Precise language]], and [[UniWiki:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers#Chronological items]]}}

Absolute specifications of time are preferred to relative constructions using ''recently'', ''currently'', and so on, because the latter may go out of date. "By May 2011 contributions had dropped" has the same meaning as "Recently, contributions have dropped" (when written in mid-2011) but the first example retains its meaning as time passes. And ''recently''{{ndash}}type constructions may be ambiguous even at the time of writing: was it in the last week?~~{{snd}}~~month?~~{{snd}}~~year?<ref>In long-view sciences such as palaeontology, "[[Wikipedia:Recent|recent]]" may have meanings such as "within the last 11,700 years"—the [[Wikipedia:Holocene|Holocene]]—and will not go out of date.</ref> The information that "The current president, Cristina Fernández, took office in 2007", or "Cristina Fernández has been president since 2007", is better rendered "Cristina Fernández became president in 2007". Wordings such as "17 years ago" or "Jones is 65 years old" should be rewritten as "in {{#expr:{{CURRENTYEAR}}-17}}", "Jones was 65 years old at the time of the incident", or "Jones was born in {{#expr:{{CURRENTYEAR}}-65}}".

Absolute specifications of time are preferred to relative constructions using ''recently'', ''currently'', and so on, because the latter may go out of date. "By May 2011 contributions had dropped" has the same meaning as "Recently, contributions have dropped" (when written in mid-2011) but the first example retains its meaning as time passes. And ''recently''{{ndash}}type constructions may be ambiguous even at the time of writing: was it in the last week? - month? - year?<ref>In long-view sciences such as palaeontology, "[[Wikipedia:Recent|recent]]" may have meanings such as "within the last 11,700 years"—the [[Wikipedia:Holocene|Holocene]]—and will not go out of date.</ref> The information that "The current president, Cristina Fernández, took office in 2007", or "Cristina Fernández has been president since 2007", is better rendered "Cristina Fernández became president in 2007". Wordings such as "17 years ago" or "Jones is 65 years old" should be rewritten as "in {{#expr:{{CURRENTYEAR}}-17}}", "Jones was 65 years old at the time of the incident", or "Jones was born in {{#expr:{{CURRENTYEAR}}-65}}".

When material in an article may become out of date, follow the [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:As of|Wikipedia:As of]] guideline, which allows information to be written in a less time-dependent way.

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=== Neologisms and new compounds ===

~~{{shortcut|MOS~~:~~NEO}}~~

[[Wikipedia:Neologism|Neologisms]] are expressions coined recently or in isolated circumstances to which they have remained restricted. In most cases, they do not appear in general-interest dictionaries, though they may be used routinely within certain communities or professions. They should generally be avoided because their definitions tend to be unstable and many do not last. Where the use of a neologism is necessary to describe recent developments in a certain field, its meaning must be supported by reliable sources.

~~{{See also~~|~~Wikipedia:Wikipedia is not a dictionary#~~Neologisms}}

~~[[Neologism~~]]s are expressions coined recently or in isolated circumstances to which they have remained restricted. In most cases, they do not appear in general-interest dictionaries, though they may be used routinely within certain communities or professions. They should generally be avoided because their definitions tend to be unstable and many do not last. Where the use of a neologism is necessary to describe recent developments in a certain field, its meaning must be supported by reliable sources.

Adding common prefixes or suffixes such as ''pre-'', ''post-'', ''non-'', ''anti-'', or ''-like'' to existing words to create new compounds can aid brevity, but make sure the resulting terms are not misleading or offensive, and that they do not lend [[WP:NPOV#Undue weight|undue weight]] to a point of view. Adding ~~{{nobreak|~~''-ism''}} to a word, for instance, may suggest a tenuous belief system is well established.

Adding common prefixes or suffixes such as ''pre-'', ''post-'', ''non-'', ''anti-'', or ''-like'' to existing words to create new compounds can aid brevity, but make sure the resulting terms are not misleading or offensive, and that they do not lend [[Wikipedia:WP:NPOV#Undue weight|undue weight]] to a point of view. Adding ''-ism'' to a word, for instance, may suggest a tenuous belief system is well established.

== Vulgarities, obscenities, and profanities ==

{{hatnote|See also: [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Offensive material|Wikipedia:Offensive material]]}}

[[~~Wikipedia:Wikipedia is not~~#~~Wikipedia is not censored~~|~~Wikipedia is not censored~~]] and ~~its~~ [[Wikipedia:Five pillars|encyclopedic mission]] ~~encompasses~~ the inclusion of material that might offend. Quoted words should appear exactly as in the [[WP:V|original source]]. ~~But language~~ that is [[Vulgarity|vulgar]], [[Obscenity|obscene]], or [[Profanity|profane]] should be used only if its omission would make the article less accurate or relevant and there is no suitable alternative. Such words should not be used outside quotations and names except where they are themselves the topic.

EVE University's [[EVE University Rules#Code of Conduct|Code of Conduct]] and the UniWiki's [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Five pillars|encyclopedic mission]] encompass the inclusion of material that might offend. Quoted words should appear exactly as in the [[Wikipedia:WP:V|original source]]. Language that is [[Wikipedia:Vulgarity|vulgar]], [[Wikipedia:Obscenity|obscene]], or [[Wikipedia:Profanity|profane]] should be used only if its omission would make the article less accurate or relevant and there is no suitable alternative. Such words should not be used outside quotations and names except where they are themselves the topic.

== See also ==

* [[Wikipedia:Article titles]]

* [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Article titles|Wikipedia:Article titles]]

* [[~~MOS~~:~~SUBSET~~|Avoiding redundant subset terms]]

* [[UniWiki:Manual of Style#Subset terms|UniWiki Manual of Style:Avoiding redundant subset terms]]

* [[wikt:Category:English idioms|List of English idioms on Wiktionary]]

@@ Line 47: / Line 47: @@
 Words such as ''supposed'', ''apparent'', ''alleged'' and ''purported'' can imply that a given point is inaccurate, although ''alleged'' and ''accused'' are appropriate when wrongdoing is asserted but undetermined, such as with people awaiting or undergoing a criminal trial; when these are used, ensure that the source of the accusation is clear. ''So-called'' can mean ''commonly named, falsely named'', or ''contentiously named'', and it can be difficult to tell these apart. Simply ''called'' is preferable for the first meaning; detailed and attributed explanations are preferable for the others.
-Punctuation can also be used for similar effects: quotation marks, when not marking an actual quote, may indicate that [[Wikipedia:scare quotes|the writer is distancing herself or himself]] from the otherwise common interpretation of the quoted expression; the use of {{em|[[UniWiki:Manual of Style/Text formatting#Emphasis|emphasis]]}} may turn an innocuous word into a loaded expression. Such occurrences should also be avoided.
+Punctuation can also be used for similar effects: quotation marks, when not marking an actual quote, may indicate that [[Wikipedia:scare quotes|the writer is distancing herself or himself]] from the otherwise common interpretation of the quoted expression; the use of ''[[UniWiki:Manual of Style/Text formatting#Emphasis|emphasis]]'' may turn an innocuous word into a loaded expression. Such occurrences should also be avoided.
 === Editorializing ===
@@ Line 90: / Line 90: @@
 }}
 {{hatnote|See also: [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:As of#Precise language|Wikipedia:As of#Precise language]], and [[UniWiki:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers#Chronological items]]}}
-Absolute specifications of time are preferred to relative constructions using ''recently'', ''currently'', and so on, because the latter may go out of date. "By May 2011 contributions had dropped" has the same meaning as "Recently, contributions have dropped" (when written in mid-2011) but the first example retains its meaning as time passes. And ''recently''{{ndash}}type constructions may be ambiguous even at the time of writing: was it in the last week?{{snd}}month?{{snd}}year?<ref>In long-view sciences such as palaeontology, "[[Wikipedia:Recent|recent]]" may have meanings such as "within the last 11,700 years"—the [[Wikipedia:Holocene|Holocene]]—and will not go out of date.</ref> The information that "The current president, Cristina Fernández, took office in 2007", or "Cristina Fernández has been president since 2007", is better rendered "Cristina Fernández became president in 2007". Wordings such as "17 years ago" or "Jones is 65 years old" should be rewritten as "in {{#expr:{{CURRENTYEAR}}-17}}", "Jones was 65 years old at the time of the incident", or "Jones was born in {{#expr:{{CURRENTYEAR}}-65}}".
+Absolute specifications of time are preferred to relative constructions using ''recently'', ''currently'', and so on, because the latter may go out of date. "By May 2011 contributions had dropped" has the same meaning as "Recently, contributions have dropped" (when written in mid-2011) but the first example retains its meaning as time passes. And ''recently''{{ndash}}type constructions may be ambiguous even at the time of writing: was it in the last week? - month? - year?<ref>In long-view sciences such as palaeontology, "[[Wikipedia:Recent|recent]]" may have meanings such as "within the last 11,700 years"—the [[Wikipedia:Holocene|Holocene]]—and will not go out of date.</ref> The information that "The current president, Cristina Fernández, took office in 2007", or "Cristina Fernández has been president since 2007", is better rendered "Cristina Fernández became president in 2007". Wordings such as "17 years ago" or "Jones is 65 years old" should be rewritten as "in {{#expr:{{CURRENTYEAR}}-17}}", "Jones was 65 years old at the time of the incident", or "Jones was born in {{#expr:{{CURRENTYEAR}}-65}}".
 When material in an article may become out of date, follow the [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:As of|Wikipedia:As of]] guideline, which allows information to be written in a less time-dependent way.
@@ Line 112: / Line 112: @@
 === Neologisms and new compounds ===
-{{shortcut|MOS:NEO}}
+[[Wikipedia:Neologism|Neologisms]] are expressions coined recently or in isolated circumstances to which they have remained restricted. In most cases, they do not appear in general-interest dictionaries, though they may be used routinely within certain communities or professions. They should generally be avoided because their definitions tend to be unstable and many do not last. Where the use of a neologism is necessary to describe recent developments in a certain field, its meaning must be supported by reliable sources.
-{{See also|Wikipedia:Wikipedia is not a dictionary#Neologisms}}
-[[Neologism]]s are expressions coined recently or in isolated circumstances to which they have remained restricted. In most cases, they do not appear in general-interest dictionaries, though they may be used routinely within certain communities or professions. They should generally be avoided because their definitions tend to be unstable and many do not last. Where the use of a neologism is necessary to describe recent developments in a certain field, its meaning must be supported by reliable sources.
-Adding common prefixes or suffixes such as ''pre-'', ''post-'', ''non-'', ''anti-'', or ''-like'' to existing words to create new compounds can aid brevity, but make sure the resulting terms are not misleading or offensive, and that they do not lend [[WP:NPOV#Undue weight|undue weight]] to a point of view. Adding {{nobreak|''-ism''}} to a word, for instance, may suggest a tenuous belief system is well established.
+Adding common prefixes or suffixes such as ''pre-'', ''post-'', ''non-'', ''anti-'', or ''-like'' to existing words to create new compounds can aid brevity, but make sure the resulting terms are not misleading or offensive, and that they do not lend [[Wikipedia:WP:NPOV#Undue weight|undue weight]] to a point of view. Adding ''-ism'' to a word, for instance, may suggest a tenuous belief system is well established.
 == Vulgarities, obscenities, and profanities ==
-{{main|Wikipedia:Offensive material}}
+{{hatnote|See also: [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Offensive material|Wikipedia:Offensive material]]}}
-[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not censored|Wikipedia is not censored]] and its [[Wikipedia:Five pillars|encyclopedic mission]] encompasses the inclusion of material that might offend. Quoted words should appear exactly as in the [[WP:V|original source]]. But language that is [[Vulgarity|vulgar]], [[Obscenity|obscene]], or [[Profanity|profane]] should be used only if its omission would make the article less accurate or relevant and there is no suitable alternative. Such words should not be used outside quotations and names except where they are themselves the topic.
+EVE University's [[EVE University Rules#Code of Conduct|Code of Conduct]] and the UniWiki's [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Five pillars|encyclopedic mission]] encompass the inclusion of material that might offend. Quoted words should appear exactly as in the [[Wikipedia:WP:V|original source]]. Language that is [[Wikipedia:Vulgarity|vulgar]], [[Wikipedia:Obscenity|obscene]], or [[Wikipedia:Profanity|profane]] should be used only if its omission would make the article less accurate or relevant and there is no suitable alternative. Such words should not be used outside quotations and names except where they are themselves the topic.
 == See also ==
-* [[Wikipedia:Article titles]]
+* [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Article titles|Wikipedia:Article titles]]
-* [[MOS:SUBSET|Avoiding redundant subset terms]]
+* [[UniWiki:Manual of Style#Subset terms|UniWiki Manual of Style:Avoiding redundant subset terms]]
 * [[wikt:Category:English idioms|List of English idioms on Wiktionary]]