• dream_weasel
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    1 year ago

    One gives a definition or clarification and the other is a set of examples. If you do that with a word that your listener has never seen or heard before, you will miscommunicate.

    Here watch when I use made up words:

    I enjoy multifacetous martialific numbrate (i.e., chess).

    If I selected carelessly, does this mean I like games or that I specifically like chess? Maybe here it doesn’t matter, but what if I’m describing a category of things I’m allergic to vs a specific example? It’s worth being able to articulate either case distinctly no?

    • stevehobbes@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Not just specific example. i.e. when used in contract law is a limited list of things covered.

      Acts of god (i.e. fire or flood) would not include hail or rain or lightning or….

      Acts of god (e.g. fire or flood) would include anything you could argue to a judge is an act of god.

      If they use ie in a contract, you would first have to argue they didn’t mean to use ie and both parties believes them not to be a complete list, and were supposed to be examples of.