IEEE 91 provides a standard for drawing symbols. It doesn't dictate the mathematics though it is clear about the the function of the exclusive or operator.
This weak. You are one of these supposed greybeards yet you are whining about "younger engineers" while completely failing to do any, and I mean ANY cursory research. Pull up the standard, and read pg. 62. It is not definitive, but it is merely one piece to why there are 2 interpretations of the XOR gate when multiple inputs are concerned.
I'm sorry you consider the need for accuracy as ranting. It's a little odd that you are lackadaisical yet bring a national standard to the table. The problem with standards is that you can have conflicting ones. What IEEE say, IEC may say differently.
Seems to me that everyone who actually has needed to implement logic is ok with understanding that there are 2 different interpretations of a multi-input XOR gate. I will leave it up to standards body and as long as one is referenced then conversations can be clearer. Not based on some rando on an Internet forum whining about "young engineers" or "you are pronouncing it wrong in my irrelevant opinion therefore you don't understand how something works."
By all means call your parity function a "zor", but write it as such to avoid confusion with xor.
I am ok with calling a 2-input or multi-input "ZOR" because I know how it works and I also understand the 'conflicting' viewpoints.
I mean, get this, son. A 2 input XOR does fit to the "exclusive" meaning, but it is also only high when a single input is high. You know, single input...ONE input. Isn't one an odd number? hmmmmm....This is not a subject that is as detrimental in regards to language as you are trying to make it out to be.
We could go at length over this, but the reality is, as others have already shown, there are actually real IC's that are multi-input XOR gates. This has been discussed as well, even a cursory Google search literally just did in 30 seconds pulls up discussions and a website going through the arithmetic.
https://mindhunter74.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/xor-the-interesting-gate/https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/93713/how-is-an-xor-with-more-than-2-inputs-supposed-to-workhttps://assets.nexperia.com/documents/data-sheet/74LVC1G386.pdfLogisim, LogicWorks, actual coding, generally point toward the 'odd-parity' function for a multi-input XOR.
You may feel passionate about this topic, but what you are NOT is the definitive authority on the subject. Know your lane and stay in it. I have noticed that the "older generation" on this forum likes to throw shade, but offers no legitimate argumentation in return. "I think, I feel, I believe..." It is such profound sadness that someone with supposedly decades of knowledge and experience ends up bring so very little to the table. I sincerely hope you are retired and do not mentor anyone because you would do them a disservice. If you are not retired, please PM me your details that way if I ever see your resume, I will toss it is the trash. That ends my snippy rant.