Yesterday's impelling exploit was to learn three intimidatingly impressive new words from the great English language. I wonder if you can guess which three words they are from the plethora of beguiling vocabulary located in the paragraphs below; words espoused and scattered to celebrate language like confetti is scattered to celebrate a wedding.
I heard recently that the English language is one of the most replete and manifold languages on the planet, which is down to our mixed heritage and the fact that we've appropriated and adapted words from other cultures and countries which have now made their way into common English usage*. It's also because English, unlike some other languages, has been written down and recorded for many hundreds of years, so we have a prodigious bank to fall back on of old and ancient words which are dying out, being resurrected, or have been long extinct for some time. If you are interested in etymology, I can heartily recommend Bill Bryson's book 'The Mother Tongue' for an easy to read, informative and enjoyable romp through the journey of the English language. But it has got me thinking that we must, in general, use a negligible proportion of the English language in our day-to-day speech, which should attract public opprobrium.
Maybe if we all endeavoured a little more assiduously? I have a predilection for reading and learning, which with it brings a penchant for word games like crosswords and anagrams. It's puerile but I like knowing things that other people don't know, because I'm asinine and narcissistic like that. So I'm happy to be on the lookout (and sound out?) for new words, but I fear that in then using these words, I would be creating more problems for myself. Why know the meaning of a word like obstreperous? I could use it in a sentence ('My neighbour's obstreperous puppy has made a repugnant mound of mess outside my front door - again.') but no-one, apart from maybe Stephen Hawking or the Queen, or someone even cleverer, would know what I meant (sorry; please don't take offence that I assume you don't know the meaning of the word obstreperous. But you don't, do you?) So really it is unavailing and inopportune, not to mention an uneconomic use of breath and time, to litter ones speech with words such as these, and yet still I find that I want to learn more and more.
I find myself longing, when reading something like Austen or Hardy, that we still spoke like that what they used to do in them olden days of yore. Characters in these books are so expressive, so concise, so efficient and so intelligent in the way they communicate with each other that they can not infrequently do so just using words. They don't need emojis, or descriptions of actions or facial expressions so that the reader knows that they were feeling gorgonized, or blithe or lugubrious. I find, by contrast, that I can scarcely write a text now without finishing it with an emoticon, lest the recipient think unduly that I am being saccharine or sarcastic.
So there we go. Having arrived at our destination - the end of this blog post - how has my use of the English language left you feeling? Because I think it probably hasn't uplifted you, encouraged you or inspired you, which I suppose a good blog post should do. But maybe it has entertained you vaguely, which I suppose will have to do :)
*I can't understand why living in a country so well-stocked and abundant when it comes to diverse people groups and ethnicities is a reality apparently so pestiferous to some. We should surely embrace, celebrate and enjoy the various nationalities that call Great Britain home, and welcome their contributions and enrichment to all aspects of our society and culture, rather than close the doors in Calais and let no one else in. Sorry - can't be avoided today
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