Comments on: How Language Shapes Us http://www.jrganymede.com/2010/10/28/how-language-shapes-us/ We endeavor to give satisfaction Mon, 21 May 2012 19:52:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Zen http://www.jrganymede.com/2010/10/28/how-language-shapes-us/comment-page-1/#comment-18770 Zen Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:37:10 +0000 http://www.jrganymede.com/?p=3648#comment-18770 One of the things I have been pondering is how we give cutesy names to horrible things, like "friends with benefits", instead of uncommitted partners in fornication. It makes me want to start using 4-letter words far more frequently, if only to avoid sugar-coating despicable things. One of the things I have been pondering is how we give cutesy names to horrible things, like “friends with benefits”, instead of uncommitted partners in fornication. It makes me want to start using 4-letter words far more frequently, if only to avoid sugar-coating despicable things.

]]> By: twiceuponatime http://www.jrganymede.com/2010/10/28/how-language-shapes-us/comment-page-1/#comment-18764 twiceuponatime Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:15:12 +0000 http://www.jrganymede.com/?p=3648#comment-18764 "going to the bathroom" above. The batroom may be an interesting place, but no one I know lives in Wayne Manor. “going to the bathroom” above. The batroom may be an interesting place, but no one I know lives in Wayne Manor.

]]> By: twiceuponatime http://www.jrganymede.com/2010/10/28/how-language-shapes-us/comment-page-1/#comment-18763 twiceuponatime Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:14:02 +0000 http://www.jrganymede.com/?p=3648#comment-18763 I think PC is not as effective as some think. Most euphemisms undergo pejeration, meaning they take on the negative terms, regardless of intents. Think of colored/negro/Afro-American. All very PC in their day, not so PC now. Even "going to the batroom" - which used to mean physically moving yourself to a room containing a bath (and so was meant to avoid unpleasent images) now refers to the actual act of waste removel from the body (I can now asy "he went to the bathroom in the middle of the street" and no one will think that there was an actual bath room in the street). So, I don't agree that changing our language will somehow change our thoughts. It can, but it takes some effort, usually. I think PC is not as effective as some think. Most euphemisms undergo pejeration, meaning they take on the negative terms, regardless of intents. Think of colored/negro/Afro-American. All very PC in their day, not so PC now. Even “going to the batroom” – which used to mean physically moving yourself to a room containing a bath (and so was meant to avoid unpleasent images) now refers to the actual act of waste removel from the body (I can now asy “he went to the bathroom in the middle of the street” and no one will think that there was an actual bath room in the street).

So, I don’t agree that changing our language will somehow change our thoughts. It can, but it takes some effort, usually.

]]> By: Vader http://www.jrganymede.com/2010/10/28/how-language-shapes-us/comment-page-1/#comment-18747 Vader Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:42:21 +0000 http://www.jrganymede.com/?p=3648#comment-18747 Decide can I not, whether German or Latin Yoda's birth tongue was. Decide can I not, whether German or Latin Yoda’s birth tongue was.

]]> By: Bookslinger http://www.jrganymede.com/2010/10/28/how-language-shapes-us/comment-page-1/#comment-18723 Bookslinger Fri, 29 Oct 2010 03:42:32 +0000 http://www.jrganymede.com/?p=3648#comment-18723 Yes, many hymns are written in Yoda-speak. Yes, many hymns are written in Yoda-speak.

]]> By: Bookslinger http://www.jrganymede.com/2010/10/28/how-language-shapes-us/comment-page-1/#comment-18722 Bookslinger Fri, 29 Oct 2010 03:40:41 +0000 http://www.jrganymede.com/?p=3648#comment-18722 I wasn't around for the "genealogy" to "family history" shift. What was the change in the instruction? Hasn't it always been, "Submit the info on your ancestors so their temple work can be done?" Re: pc-isms. The talking-heads on TV are often the vanguard of change, and their influence is widespread. The grass roots, especially the young, often take their cue from media and entertainment. IE, there are more outwardly-directed people than there are inwardly-directed people. And for the last 30 years, most families in North America have turned over, or abdicated, child-rearing to public schools and the media/entertainment complex. And for the last 35 to 40 years, liberals/progressives have been in control of both of those. I wasn’t around for the “genealogy” to “family history” shift. What was the change in the instruction? Hasn’t it always been, “Submit the info on your ancestors so their temple work can be done?”

Re: pc-isms. The talking-heads on TV are often the vanguard of change, and their influence is widespread. The grass roots, especially the young, often take their cue from media and entertainment. IE, there are more outwardly-directed people than there are inwardly-directed people. And for the last 30 years, most families in North America have turned over, or abdicated, child-rearing to public schools and the media/entertainment complex. And for the last 35 to 40 years, liberals/progressives have been in control of both of those.

]]> By: cantinflas http://www.jrganymede.com/2010/10/28/how-language-shapes-us/comment-page-1/#comment-18719 cantinflas Fri, 29 Oct 2010 02:14:13 +0000 http://www.jrganymede.com/?p=3648#comment-18719 My 4 brothers and I call each other 'brother,' but it's kind of like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo1pkHKHuts My 4 brothers and I call each other ‘brother,’ but it’s kind of like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo1pkHKHuts

]]> By: Adam Greenwood http://www.jrganymede.com/2010/10/28/how-language-shapes-us/comment-page-1/#comment-18709 Adam Greenwood Thu, 28 Oct 2010 21:08:40 +0000 http://www.jrganymede.com/?p=3648#comment-18709 Books., the change from "genealogy" to "family history" reflected a real chance in what the Church was telling us to do. Yet I still hear both terms used pretty frequently. You are probably right that the PC-isms have had some social engineering effect, but I would argue that if the new terms stick, its often because they are reflecting a change in attitudes, not causing it. Books.,
the change from “genealogy” to “family history” reflected a real chance in what the Church was telling us to do. Yet I still hear both terms used pretty frequently.
You are probably right that the PC-isms have had some social engineering effect, but I would argue that if the new terms stick, its often because they are reflecting a change in attitudes, not causing it.

]]> By: Vader http://www.jrganymede.com/2010/10/28/how-language-shapes-us/comment-page-1/#comment-18705 Vader Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:10:49 +0000 http://www.jrganymede.com/?p=3648#comment-18705 "Yoo-hoo!" Yeah. A salubriuous change. The use of the passive voice to distance oneself from oneself is, I suspect, as old as the English language. On the basic question, do we shape language or does it shape us, I agree with Adam: The answer is yes. “Yoo-hoo!” Yeah. A salubriuous change.

The use of the passive voice to distance oneself from oneself is, I suspect, as old as the English language.

On the basic question, do we shape language or does it shape us, I agree with Adam: The answer is yes.

]]> By: Bookslinger http://www.jrganymede.com/2010/10/28/how-language-shapes-us/comment-page-1/#comment-18703 Bookslinger Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:05:52 +0000 http://www.jrganymede.com/?p=3648#comment-18703 1. The church changed "genealogy" to "family history", to good effect I believe. 2. I predict new labels/euphemisms for "home teaching" and "(member) missionary work" will come about shortly. 3. The hymn "How Firm a Foundation" had the phrase "Yoo-hoo unto Jesus..." changed to "who unto the Savior...". 4. And then there are all those Spanish-isms that Spanish-speaking missionaries adopt, sometimes using the literal English translation. One of the favorites was "It fell from me" to avoid saying "I dropped it" and thereby taking some responsibility. I think the subject is an analogue to the question of whether art imitates life or vice versa. Someone or some group comes up with a pleasant-sounding euphemism to remove the stigma from something negative, and then the term becomes widely adopted, and then the negative thing actually does lose its stigma among the next generation. Ex: all the PC-isms. The subject also illustrates to a degree how one must sometimes take a multi-generational, not a static, viewpoint to analyze a change. 1. The church changed “genealogy” to “family history”, to good effect I believe.

2. I predict new labels/euphemisms for “home teaching” and “(member) missionary work” will come about shortly.

3. The hymn “How Firm a Foundation” had the phrase “Yoo-hoo unto Jesus…” changed to “who unto the Savior…”.

4. And then there are all those Spanish-isms that Spanish-speaking missionaries adopt, sometimes using the literal English translation. One of the favorites was “It fell from me” to avoid saying “I dropped it” and thereby taking some responsibility.

I think the subject is an analogue to the question of whether art imitates life or vice versa. Someone or some group comes up with a pleasant-sounding euphemism to remove the stigma from something negative, and then the term becomes widely adopted, and then the negative thing actually does lose its stigma among the next generation. Ex: all the PC-isms.

The subject also illustrates to a degree how one must sometimes take a multi-generational, not a static, viewpoint to analyze a change.

]]>