(Harbinger's Daily) Language is something that does inherently change over time. Just as new inventions are created, so are new words created by repurposing words (e.g., computers, that “compute” information), by combining words (e.g., social media, which combines the words “social” and “media”), or by creating completely new words (e.g., google). The definitions of words change as well, such as how replenish today means “to fill something again,” while in the 1600s it just meant “to fill something.” The gradual changing of words and definitions is a normal part of language development, and if a language stops adapting and changing, it is considered a dead language, such as Latin. However, these adjustments should be made slowly and naturally over time and should not be rushed into. Traditionally, the task of slowing such rapid changes in language has fallen to dictionaries.
A dictionary is a compilation of definitions that is used to help people communicate with one another. Two of the earliest dictionaries by Samuel Johnson and Noah Webster were both intended as a means of consolidating the English language and providing its speakers with a unified, standard, and proper means of communicating with one another.