'I've always thought that the 'make-it-up-as -you-go-along' and 'words-mean-what-I-want-them-to-mean' philosophy would lead to the death of communication'

Thankfully words still mean what people want them to mean, not what you want them to mean. This probably ensures the continuation of communication skills throughout the general population. Although it does leave YOU with a problem.

You really need to preface your messages with:-

Amongst the acolytes of the folk cult what we call folkmusic/ a ballad/ etc.....)

Because when Michael Parkinson says to Jack Jones, what i really love is your way with a ballad - you can't get away from the fact that everybody in England and Ireland (yourself included) knows exactly and with precision what he is talking about .....

I still think you would also find many people in folk music who would disagree with your very narrow definition of a ballad. 'balladry' is a skill which has many tangential offshoots.

Ask yourself just what you are aiming for - complete cultural autism for folkmusic. there are simply too many people out there (many in the world of folk music) who have never heard of the ballad of tamm Linn, who use the word ballad. And its their language, and they are entitled to do that.