The mis-use of the word Diva

As theydontseem to teach the English language at school any more, I am not surprised!

Perhaps it goes something like this:
Diva = Prima Donna.
Prima Donna = A temperamental, conceited person.
Therefore: Diva = A temperamental, conceited person.

I totally agree dorsetpent and of course some words have been given a different meaning altogether. Of course we are lucky if children actually leave school knowing how to spell never mind knowing the meaning of words and how to use them. I do not think that texting has helped because if you don't care how words are spelled you do not bother to use the dictionary to look them up. I still use my dictionary and keep it handy because there are always words I still come across that I either need to check the spelling of or not sure of the meaning. And I love crosswords so a dictionary is very useful.

Love it grannyactivist how true.

Awesome! very over used, particularly in America. Whilst there last summer whenever a waiter took an order for even say coffee, they would respond with "awesome!" I don't think so, the Northern Lights, the Grand Canyon,The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Alum Chine all awesome quite possibly, a coffee with milk definitely not. Another overused word, more homegrown, has to be "devastated" to describe a whole range of perceived disasters from losing a mobile phone, to being rejected by the X Factor Panel. A ridiculous word when used in the wrong context.

I used to work with an American jew and she used the expression Jewish American Princess (JAP) and said that it was not necessary to be Jewish, American or a Princess to be one. I think she was using that to mean the same as the current use of Diva.

Language changes all the time though, so perhaps this new use will soon make it into the dictionary.

I just googled it and got: "Diva is Europe's only mainstream lesbian magazine. UK news, details of the latest issue, an online shop, e-cards and a chat forum called the Blue Room."

One of my dictionaries actually specifies a celebrated opera singer so that would leave out Pink wouldn't it?

Charismatic is one of the misused words that gets on my nerves. Nowadays it just generally means well-known and sexy. It's certainly lost any association with the Christian church.

dorsetpennt I wonder if you aware that we have a dedicated forum – Pedants' Corner – for just this sort of thread.

Alum chine? Awesome?nice maybe.

Galen Maybe not but it's still closer to awesome than a cup of a coffee is.

Galen I was being slightly facetious, I cited Alum Chine as a homage to doresetpennt cos she lives in Bournemouth, although having said that it is kind of awesome!

perhaps!

I always thought that 'Diva' meant Goddess (from the Latin)
The famous aria 'Casta Diva 'means literally 'Chaste Goddess'!

The star - usually a soprano - of the opera would be regarded as a kind of goddess. Is there a male equivalent? I can't think of one.

Divo, surely?

Il Divo,all four of them?

how could I forget them!

@ Galen

Going to see Il Divo soon.

So what! I don't think it's misuse at all. Its just a change of use and most people will know what you mean by it. As others have said its another term for a prima donna with all the overtones of behaviour that has.

Think what has happened since Nixons "Watergate" 1972 incident. anything that reeks of scandal or corruption has this "gate" suffix and most people know exactly what it means.

I love this way of using language. Our language would be so much poorer if these expressions did not evolve.

Nelliemoser I agree with you about the pleasures of language evolving to match the times. However, it is quite sad when you lose a useful word. Now, if you want to use diva in its original sense rather than as meaning showing off and conceited or a successful pop star who may or may not actually be able to sing, you have to use at least two words.

It's the same for the use of the word 'Hero'.

I get really annoyed when the term 'Hero' is applied to sportsmen/women etc.

I get really annoyed when 'hero' is applied to anyone in military uniform. They cannot possibly all be heroes in the strictest meaning of the term. But that's the tabloids for you.

anno

That's where we differ, that is 'exactly' when I think it should be used.