X-Message-Number: 22958
From: "John de Rivaz" <>
References: <>
Subject: Re: language
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2003 11:05:10 -0000

I too am aware of misuse of language, but often the language is deficient.
Language can be used to direct behaviour, and this is likely to pass down
from previous authority structures.

For example, the slavers used to make sure that slaves were gathered in
group such that none of them spoke the same language as others in the group.
They were then taught a sub-set of English that did not include words like
"escape" or "freedom".

The fact that there is no universally accepted word for  someone's sexual
partner where the couple are not married leads to some ridiculous language.
For example a man of 60 with a partner of 59 is referred to having a
"girlfriend", even on the BBC television news.  The use of the word
"partner" is not universal, and indeed could mean business associate. The
use of the word "companion" is highly accurate but is not popular because
this suggests a pair of elderly spinsters in 19th century Victorian England
as widely popularised by period novels. This use of language puts a subtle
pressure on people to get married. Whether in the distant past it was
engineered is unlikely, but its evolution may well be something to do with
the religious authorities wanting people to get married. These days it is
usually the welfare state that has an interest in people being married,
because they can claim less benefits.

Certainly the word "friend" is degraded in current usage, but many people
probably have difficulty in remembering how to spell "acquaintance".

The language is sometimes deficient in that the meaning of the word is only
inferable by the context, eg

I love apple pie
I love my wife
I love my dog
I love my child
I love "Lexx"

(The last one is interesting because the quotes also add meaning - it is
clear that "Lexx" is the title of something, and not the name of a person,
animal or food product.)

-- 
Sincerely, John de Rivaz:  http://John.deRivaz.com for websites including
Cryonics Europe, Longevity Report, The Venturists, Porthtowan, Alec Harley
Reeves - inventor, Arthur Bowker - potter, de Rivaz genealogy,  Nomad .. and
more

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