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It seems to me that should be a synonym of (which already has as a synonym).

I can't propose this, because I don't have enough reputation (do I need to reach the required level under borrowing, or loan-words? - I don't know, but I've only got 2 in the first, and 0 in the second).

So - firstly, is that synonymisation a good idea, and secondly, is posting this question the right way to advance the process?

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    To your first, +1, because I think it is a good idea, and to the second, currently it is, though it shouldn't be. Tag synonymizing needs to be facilitated for 20K+ users, at least.
    – Daniel
    Mar 19, 2012 at 15:40
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    @Daniel: Yes, I think a "sliding scale" of entry requirements for proposing synonyms would be good. I think you currently need 2500 overall, plus at least 5 in one of the tag categories you propose merging. It would be good if that 5 were lowered by, say 1 for every 2500 points above the minimum, giving 5000:4, 7500:3, 10,000:2, 12500:1, thus allowing anyone with 15,000+ to propose/vote on any synonymisation they like. Ideally, then require final authorisation from a mod, just to guard against ill-thought-out "gungo-ho" mergers that might lose us useful distinctions in the future.
    – FumbleFingers
    Mar 19, 2012 at 15:52

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As you are trying to create a synonym for , it's for that tag that you should have the required score.

I agree that those tags should be synonym. While borrowing is the "process" that creates loan words, I don't see any reason for having two separated tags.

Creating a question on the meta site is the right do to do.
If there are enough users with the required score on , and they vote the synonym because they read this question, then the synonym will be automatically created. If there aren't enough users with the required score, moderators can consider creating the tag synonym, basing on the votes this question gets.

Even in the case the tag synonym is created because it get enough votes, there could still be the need of a moderator action. Creating a synonym doesn't automatically rewrite all the existing questions that use the old tag; only a moderator can merge two tags, and when that is done the questions using the old tag are changed to use the new one.
This means that writing a request about tag synonyms here is probably needed in most of the cases, except when you don't mind seeing the old questions using the old tag, and the new questions using the new tag.

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  • Yes, I'm saying that I think [loan-words] should be the "primary" tag, and that [borrowings] should be a synonym thereof. Are you saying that if I happened to have, say, 100 rep points on questions tagged [borrowings], but only 4 against those tagged [loan-words], I still wouldn't be able to propose the merge, because that "entry-level" requirement applies to the tag you want to keep as primary, not the one you want merged into it?
    – FumbleFingers
    Mar 19, 2012 at 19:14
  • ...thank you for all the rest of the information, which is useful to me. I still agree with @Daniel that the facilities available to non-mods could be improved, but I don't have a big problem with raising a question here if I happen to notice other anomalies like the [borrowings] issue.
    – FumbleFingers
    Mar 19, 2012 at 19:18
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    When you propose a tag synonym, you are not proposing a merge, which can only be done from moderators. Said that, if your score on loan-words is four, then you cannot propose a synonym for that tag (or vote for a synonym), even if your score on the tag you are suggesting as synonym is 10. To notice that the requirements talk of score, not reputation; the first is simply the difference between the number of up-votes, and the number of down-votes. Suppose that you get 4 up-votes, and 4 down-votes for an answer you gave; your score would be 0, and your reputation would be 32.
    – apaderno
    Mar 19, 2012 at 19:29
  • okay, I think I got all that, thanks
    – FumbleFingers
    Mar 19, 2012 at 19:50

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