The majority is often wrong

The English language changes  through ignorance, there is no doubt about it and I am sure this is not an original observation. One corruption or transformation which has been going on for the last two years at least is in the misuse of the the word majority. This is a word which in its usual use refers to number. We now see it by extension being used to describe the greater part of an object as in, "the majority of the South Front...." in material on display during the restoration at Stowe.  This grates on my ear . Journalists are using it in this ignorant way. Here is an example from Oliver James," The great majority of depression is not major but what is known as minor....." So where was the sub-editor?

(September 3, 2009: I have an earlier example of the casual use of the word "majority". W Homer, in his 1964 study of Seurat writes of colours "which occupy the majority of the water area."(page 68).