Myriad reasons not to say 'myriad'

"Myriad," meaning "a countless number" and derived from a Greek word for "ten thousand" (murioi), first appeared in English in 1555 -- coincidentally the year of the first appearance of "solecism."

In modern usage, "myriad" is often but mistakenly used as a fancy synonym for "many," which dilutes the proper meaning of a far more expansive concept.

This came to mind today when I saw a front-page story in the Charlottesville Daily Progress by Chris Suarez headlined "Post-rally public relations faltered," about the attempt by city officials to control the image of Charlottesville in the wake of the alt-right, neo-Nazi, white supremacist demonstrations and violence over the weekend of August 11-13.

One paragraph, referring to two public relations firms and Mayor Mike Signer, reads:

Powell Tate officials mostly helped the mayor manage requests for media interviews with national news outlets the week following the rally. On Aug. 18, Weber Shandwick provided the city a report detailing the myriad interviews Signer had done [emphasis added].

It is true that, during the week in question, Mayor Signer submitted to many on-camera and on-mic interviews from local, national, and even international news media.

I find it questionable to claim that those appearances were so numerous as to be uncountable -- essentially to be the equivalent to the stars in the sky or the grains of sand in the Sahara Desert.

"Myriad" is a word with a specific meaning. Its misuse makes it less effective. If that word is employed in myriad ways, it no longer means myriad.