Bob Mann said:Athlete is one of many words in the English language that can have
more than one meaning depending on context.
It can also change with duration.You can have a momentary athlete in the sense of someone who
participates, however poorly, in an athletic event.
You will hear the instructions for the athletes to proceed to the
starting line, to a certain area.
Those people are athletes for the duration of the event in which they
are registered.
Certainly this corresponds to language at it is actually used.
Quoted message said:Then there is the general term athlete. This describes someone who has
attained, whether by hard work or fortunate genetics, a certain
ability in athletic endeavours.
Do you detect some wiggle room in "certain ability"? As measured how?
Where is the line? Is it against peers (special olympics athlete) or
against the entire known world through history (mile runners?)
How about "athletic endeavours"? Does a 5K count? How about a golf
game? Step-aerobics class?
Quoted message said:These people are athletes whether or not they competein athletic
events. It is a state of being.
Can you define characterstics of this "state of being"?
Quoted message said:Hope this helps.
Not much, but welcome to the debate.
Dally