Why Language Matters

Mean what you say and say what you mean.

Language, whether in speech or in writing, is the advanced expression in which we communicate who we are and what we believe. It defines us, explains what we mean, what we feel and what we want to say. That is why the improper use of it is so disheartening. Communicating poorly or improperly in and of itself is a different kind of expression, the subtext of which is that you do not understand what you are trying to say. It informs the recipient of your communication that you are confused, and further often causes them to lose focus on what you are trying to express, and instead concentrate on your difficulty in doing so.

According to experts, the English Language is home to 616,500 words. Yet the average English speaker has a vocabulary of only 10-20,000 and uses only a fraction of those in regular discourse. That is why the erosion of propriety in popular culture does matter. Children are now more frequently exposed to, and therefore repeat, vulgar words in places that only a few short years ago would have been inappropriate. Yet, we continually see it more and more accepted. Freedom of speech is a necessary imperative, but I also believe in the use of the proper forum.

One of my biggest pet peeves is the improper utilization of expressions. The most common and oft used expressions have their origination in quite sensible application, and so to jumble the phrasing muddles the meaning and reveals the speaker as ill informed on what they are trying to get across.

"I will back in two seconds. Literally, two seconds."

This statement by its very nature makes no sense based upon what the speaker is trying to get across. The expression "two seconds" in this instance is widely accepted as meaning "very quickly" despite its practical representation of the passage of time, and has sufficiently permeated mainstream dialogue so as to not necessitate additional modification. Adding "literally" to this would be incorrect, as literally, quite literally, means actually. You don't, in this instance, mean you will actually be back in two seconds, you mean that you will be back very soon. Unless you mean that you will actually be back in two seconds, in which case you must not be going very far.

Reading up on the origin of expressions can be quite interesting. For instance did you know that it was Homer in the Iliad that first used the term, "bite the dust"? At least in a manner of speaking. American poet William Cullen Bryant translated the words in 1870: "...his fellow warriors, may a one, fall round him to the earth and bite the dust."

Think about this one: where does the expression "okay" come from? Did you know there is a century old debate on the matter? Most of you can probably recall seeing it abbreviated as “ok” or “o.k.” at least a time or two; so why the initials? There is a plethora of theories on this, the most plausible of which is that it is derived from the Greek Ollos Kalla, meaning "all is good." However, even this is often refuted.

I believe that proper expression is paramount. What those who do not take the time to think about what they are saying do not understand, is that those who do respect the subtleties of the various forms of expressions, may inaccurately interpret what the speaker is trying to get across if inaccurate language is used. To misspeak is one thing; to misunderstand is quite another.

Disclaimer: I am not, nor have I ever claimed to be, a grammarian. You may very well find errors in this, and other, texts that I commit to “paper.” I am a language enthusiast and also recognize that writers have taken liberties with prose as far back as the origination of the written word. Also, keep in mind that many of the commonly accepted rules of grammar are the subjects of intense debate.