Category talk:Aikidoka by nationality

Is it really worth using this word here?

In Japanese the word refers only to people for whom aikido is a full-time profession (thus restricted to only the very uppermost instructors, essentially excluding those with a day job). But in English, in most instances, the word is expected to convey the meaning of anyone who dilligently practices aikido for several hours each week.

This use of the word is by error (and not merely novel evolution of the language). The majority of the time that this word is used amongst English, the speaker is specifically intending to use Japanese language to communicate one idea, hence the speaker has the expectation that a Japanese speaker would immediately understand (or agree on) the intended meaning. It is only rarely that speakers truly intend it as a modern English word (deliberately communicating a meaning that has no regard for what the syllables mean in other languages).

I don't just think this is a prescriptivist debate. Presumably, aikidoka came to English not directly but by analogy with earlier borrowings (admittedly probably also misunderstood) such as karateka. However, since generally aikido has a stronger traditional Japanese cultural connection than other activities, the community that used the term aikidoka have a strong wish for their borrowings to keep consistency with Japanese. It's like mispronouncing a name: we can confirm it as a mistake because the people doing it seek to correct their own speech once informed.

Indeed, now that attention has been drawn to this situation, the word is becoming replaced by alternatives such as aikidoist. Suggest that WP follow this trend. Cesiumfrog (talk) 05:39, 18 November 2010 (UTC)