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Aug 26, 2004 The English language is often something that is taken for granted on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Words and sentences can be spoken in broken monologue, written frequently but often incorrectly structured (not that I’m a grammarian, just a bugbear of mine) and worse, words can seem forgotten, unappreciated and left to languish in mid-sentence obscurity. Some writers or performers may over use clichés or forget that when speaking about twins, there is no need to say “and out came two twins!” If you hear such a sentence your tautology alarm should flash a violent red. Phrases and syllables can be misplaced to the extent that they can be botched together to form mismatched sentences which barely resemble the initial thought process. The formation of a sentence is often fraught with errs, oohhs and hmmms. Compound this with the seemingly abbreviation happy youth and the future of our beloved language seems moribund. Life could have been different if accustomed words and meanings were reversed and meant the opposite synonym. What if our biblical cousins and ancestors had decided against common vocabulary as we know it? What if the language that we take for granted had meant the reserve to what we understand? Confused? … only a state of confusion would mean that you understanding perfectly. What if yes meant no and no meant yes? What if good meant bad and bad meant good. What if dogs went “purr” and cats went “woof”? Friends would become enemies and enemies become friends, all in the flicker of noun. Life as commonly known would be rather different, but the beauty of it is, who’d know any different? If someone enquires into our general well being, the reply would be “not good”, instead of “good thanks”. A smile would still mean happiness and inside the cavity to our heart, the feelings would be of elation, but the words would be different. Not “I love you” but perhaps “I loathe you.” Pure fiction of course, but during the age of SMS messages, jargon and wasted words, what if words didn’t mean exactly what we understand them to. A smile is taken as a sign of pleasure, a symbol that someone or something is making us happy and putting joy into our life. But try smiling and saying “I’m feeling low today”. It doesn’t feel quite right, does it? Perhaps emphasis should be placed on the true meaning of the words which we most commonly use. If fortunate enough to hear the three words which should mean the most, ponder the true meaning of “I love you” and take it for what it stands for. Words can be taken in jest, anger, stupidity et al but too many words seem redundant. Now I know that I’m casting a vast net by generalising but next time you turn on your television set and listen to a Hollywood celebrity or musician being interviewed, pay close attention to how many times the word “you know” is mentioned. Interviewee “So … how is your latest album progressing?” Star “Great – you know. I mean, it’s coming on nicely but, you know, different to my previous work, you know.” Go on, don’t make words destitute - give a word a home. ------------ About the author Stuart Evans: I'm a published Australian freelance journalist who can be contacted at: stuartevans@dodo.com.au Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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