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NV-9 — Language Drift / Semantic Noise (Coordination Failure Under Load) (Almost-Code Canonical) v1.0

When meanings drift, coordination collapses even if people are “trying.”

Summary (Canonical)

Language drift is a failure mode where the same words no longer map to the same meanings across people, time, or contexts.
This creates semantic noise, increasing coordination cost, error rate, conflict, and repair latency.
Under load, semantic noise produces phase shear and accelerates drift/collapse.
This is why English V3.0 (definition locks + scope locks) is a stability tool, not a style preference.

1) The Root Error (Negative Void)

The absent function

Missing: meaning locks (definitions, scope, and consistent binds).

When language is used in:

  • implicit mixed meanings
  • shifting terms
  • undefined scope
  • vibe-based speech instead of binds

Then the system cannot coordinate reliably.

2) Core Mechanism (Semantic Noise → Coordination Load)

Let:

  • (σ_{sem}) = semantic noise (meaning variance)
  • (C_{coord}) = coordination cost (time/effort to align)
  • (E) = error rate
  • (T_{repair}) = repair latency

As (σ_{sem}\uparrow):

  • (C_{coord}\uparrow)
  • (E\uparrow)
  • (T_{repair}\uparrow)

So regeneration throughput falls:
[
Ġ(t)\downarrow
]
and drift risk rises:
[
R(t)=\frac{Ḋ(t)}{Ġ(t)}\uparrow
]

Semantic noise is a hidden attrition mechanism.

3) Observable Signs

Z0 (student)

  • cannot follow questions precisely
  • writes “nearby” answers
  • loses marks due to misread scope
  • confusion under stress

Z2 (school/company)

  • meetings produce action but no shared understanding
  • repeated rework
  • conflicting interpretations of “done”
  • documentation inconsistent

Z4 (nation)

  • policy meanings differ across agencies
  • legal ambiguity grows
  • public trust drops (bind deletion)
  • coordination cost explodes

4) Language Drift Collapse Corridor

  1. Terms used without definition locks
  2. Different groups interpret differently
  3. Rework and conflict increase
  4. Repair latency rises
  5. Under stress, drift accelerates (phase shear)
  6. Output reliability drops (P2→P1)
  7. Shock arrives → cascade risk increases

5) Hidden Fragility (Why it looks fine early)

In calm conditions:

  • humans “fill in” missing meaning using context
  • social cues hide ambiguity

Under load:

  • context is missing
  • time pressure reduces inference
  • conflicts amplify misunderstandings

So language drift is often invisible until high-stakes moments.

6) Failure Mode Trace (Required)

No definition/scope locks → semantic variance rises → coordination cost rises → errors rise → repair latency rises → regeneration throughput falls → P2→P1 drift → shock → P0 cascade risk increases.

7) Safety Conditions (Prevent NV-9)

To prevent language drift:

  1. Definition locks (stable meanings for core terms)
  2. Scope locks (what is included/excluded)
  3. Bind discipline (connectors: because/therefore/if-then)
  4. Versioning (forward-only updates; no silent renaming)
  5. Canonical almost-code blocks for extraction fidelity

This is the operational purpose of English V3.0.

Almost-Code Spec Block (Copyable)

NegativeVoid.NV9.LanguageDriftSemanticNoise.v1.0

Negative Void:
  Language used without definition + scope locks => semantic drift (σ_sem increases)
Mechanism:
  σ_sem↑ -> coordination cost C_coord↑ -> error rate E↑ -> repair latency T_repair↑
  -> regeneration throughput Ġ(t)↓ -> R(t)=Ḋ/Ġ↑ -> drift/collapse risk rises
Observable Signs:
  rework, misalignment, contradictory execution, unstable documentation, scope confusion
Failure Mode Trace:
  no locks -> meaning variance -> coordination load -> errors -> repair latency ->
  Ġ↓ -> P2->P1 drift -> shock -> cascade risk
Safety Conditions:
  definition locks + scope locks + bind discipline + versioning + canonical spec blocks

FAQ (Short)

Q1: Isn’t ambiguity normal in language?
Yes. But core coordination terms must be locked, especially under high load or long horizons.

Q2: How is this different from “poor communication”?
It’s structural: meanings diverge, so even perfect effort produces mismatched actions.

Q3: What’s the fastest fix?
Introduce a definition lockbox and enforce scope statements in every key document.

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