The idea that we came up with is pretty much the same one that Kate Wild meniotns. My problem with this sentence is that it is presented as a usage problem, while there is actually no problem at all. There are just different ways of interpreting this sentence according to the meaning one ascribes to contemporary'. But more importantly, why would the association with the word traditional' in this sentence exclude the possibility of using contemporary' in one or any of its senses? Would we still see this as a problem' if they the sentence were as follows?Blue and contemporary furniture don't go togetherIn other words, I don't think that this sentence can be' wrong, especially when taken in isolation. But even in context, the meaning of contemporary' will usually be clear as Kate Wild also points out.However, we should remember that the survey from which this sentence was taken was held 40 years ago. It is possible that the semantic divergence of contemporary' has become more accepted. Talking about change, the OED gives the form cotemporary' as a variant during the 16th-18th centuries. Perhaps this form will be revived with the etymological original sense, while contemporary' becomes more associated with with the sense modern' or up to date'.

by Henrique 07:55:57 AM 2012.06.19