A common language must have a common standard

The flaw in a subjective definition of a word like ‘anti-semitism’ is that usage will only result in confusion. One of your correspondents (Irish Examiner, June 22) overlooked this.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary (online), ‘anti-semitism’ is the “[h]ostility to or prejudice against Jews”, not Semitic peoples.

The Collins English Dictionary (online) classifies ‘anti-semitism’ as a derivative of the noun ‘anti-semite’, defined as “a person who persecutes or discriminates against Jews”.