Tag Archives: words

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Common Language

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By using words in a structured way we are able to communicate with each other.  As long as the meaning of the words has a common interpretation we can share both concrete and conceptual ideas with others.

Of course the rub occurs when, although we believe there is a common understanding of the words meaning, personal  perceptions and associated bias can result in altered interpretations.

 Validation

Fortunately our meanings can usually be expressed through a variety of words and sentence structures.   This allows for  use to deliver a message (written or verbal) and have the receiver replay it to us with alternate phrasing and structure.

This type of check can result in identification of different interpretations  and ultimately resolve communication disconnects before they occur.

Re-statement is an extremely effective technique I use frequently to avoid confusion.  It does require patience and can be frustrating, often others wonder why you seem to be repeating everything they say, just differently.

Terminology

Words can be very specialized.  On occasion a specific body of terms can be developed solely for a technical application, study subject or profession.

In these cases the words are often not in broad general use as the terminology applies to very specific cases. It is critically important practitioner validate the meaning of such  terms in advance to ensure a commonality of discourse.

Specifc practitioners can often morph their terminology to fit the environment and practitioners with complementary skills, but from different environments, might have developed different meanings for what sound like common terms.

Without validation this can create a very frustrating and volatile situation.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Vocabulary Lesson

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My mother held a Bachelor in Arts from the University of Manitoba. She was an English major  and believed her children should become masters of a large vocabulary (among other things of course).

For her, and by association her children, a large vocabulary represented  a key underpinning for reading, writing, and verbal communication skills.

Of course reading itself  is a good way to build vocabulary.  Since I was ten I have read at least 60 books a year, often more.  As a result of my mothers encouragement I often find, in general discourse with others, I am able to use words they are not familiar with.

Who Cares

Todays post is definitely a bit self effacing, so might not strike broad empathy among my readership. It is however prompted by the fact I received an email the other day with a word I was not familiar with.

The word was antithetical, which means directly opposed or contrasted; mutually incompatible.  For example, “people whose religious beliefs are antithetical to mine”

The really cool thing about the English language is it’s specificity.  I would like to say there is a word for everything (probably a bit of an exageration).

This enhances the ability to use English to create a message with extreme clarity and power.  In the case of the note I received yesterday, once I understood the word, the simplicity and clarity of the statement was obvious.

Thanks Mom

So well I did not appreciate it growing up, I owe my Mom a vote of thanks for forcing long strange words on me day in and day out.  Imagine, instead of looking up the odd word occassionally I could be leaping to my dictionary over and over.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Politically correct speak

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In 1949 a fictional novel by George Orwell was published.  It was called “1984”.   The story presented the world as George perceived it might be in the year nineteen eighty-four based on his observations of the current state of things.

His vision of a world populated by totalitarian states which were presented to the populous as utopia’s was frequently used during the decade’s of the fifties, sixties and seventies as a warning of what was to come.

While the totalitarian states predicted in the novel did to not come to pass the use of language as propaganda throughout the tale always fascinated me.   That is not necessarily what you meant but how you said it.  This is a practice that continues today, that is how we label things somehow changes the meaning and  makes them more acceptable.

What’s in a label?

Recently I called a para-medic an ambulance driver and quickly learned how inaccurate this was.  The lady in question told a tale of how she had been called to an accident where one of the police officer’s on the scene was holding a witness for her care before questioning them.   The officer introduced her “The ambulance driver will check you out now”.   She followed that with “And when I am finished the police car driver will have some questions for you”.

For me this is a humorous  tale with a purpose.  The reality is para-medic does describe the role far more accurately than ambulance driver which was the traditional title as I was growing up.  The work performed by these first responders (an alternate and as I understand it, acceptable title) has changed drastically since my youth, both their capabilities, skills and success ratio’s.

Semantics Matter!

I have always been fascinated by importance of meaning behind the words and how the meanings morph over time.  For example the term “gay” to describe homosexuals has gathered negative connotations to the extent I have recently seen commercials on television deriding it’s use.   Originally intended to describe a particular sexual orientation, a negativism was associated with the word because the practice was viewed as deviant.  Being a homosexual is now largely an accepted practice by society.  Today, to describe that sexual behavior in politically correct terms using homosexual is much safer although in fact the two words do generally refer to the same things (albeit one does have a negative spin).

Should semantics matter?

Language is how we communicate.  The need to assign nuances to our words is paramount, so short answer – Yes semantics matter and in my opinion this needs to be the way it is, so societies can continue to mature  communication practices and grow clarity when exchanging information.