>>>>>>>>>John Galt.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I don't think purely fictional characters count as being mythical ?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Sure. Even one of the dictionary definitions of 'mythical' says: without foundation in fact; imaginary; fictitious: The explanation was entirely mythical.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>So your definition of 'mythical' will include all fictional characters ?
>>>>>
>>>>>It would certainly be webster's. :o)
>>>>>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mythical
>>>>>http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definitions/mythical?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744%3Av0qd01-tdlq&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=mythical&sa=Search#922
>>>>
>>>>Websters - Pah. It just documents how words are popularly mis-used (g)
>>>>Look at their reference to the OED definition:
>>>>1a. "A traditional story, typically involving supernatural beings or forces or creatures, which embodies and provides an explanation, aetiology, or justification for something such as the early history of a society, a religious belief or ritual, or a natural phenomenon", citing the Westminster Review of 1830 as the first English attestation.[7]
>>>>1b. "As a mass noun: such stories collectively or as a genre." (1840)
>>>>2a. "A widespread but untrue or erroneous story or belief". (1849)
>>>>2b. "A person or thing held in awe or generally referred to with near reverential admiration on the basis of popularly repeated stories (whether real or fictitious)." (1853)
>>>>2c. "A popular conception of a person or thing which exaggerates or idealizes the truth." (1928)
>>>
>>>Well, if we are only going to accept the original definition of that word (I'm guessing you don't even accept the 1928 usage), then the same must hold true of all words used on this forum :o)
>>
>>I do think the 1928 addition is a step too far :-}
>>I accept that the meaning of a word can evolve over time.and the role of a dctionary is to define how a word is used by society rather than to dictate the usage.
>>Anyway, whilst one can claim that all mythical characters are (probably) fictitious that does not mean all fictional characters are mythical. Hence my rejection of John Galt.
>
>It also disqualifies The Little Prince :o)

Not realy the same topic:

My idea was that the definitions above are more or less all valid, the year describes when it was documented first in a specific way? There was a special mark if some use is no longer up dto date?

Agnes