New words. Do you love them or hate them?

When you hear a new word in your language, do you have a reaction? Are you intrigued or offended by additions to language? Several readers of last week's blog chose the origin of words as an interesting subject, so this week I'll explore the topic of new words. (For language nerds, 'neologism' is the technical term for a new word.)    

What is a word really?  Although the definition of the word 'word' seems like a no-brainer, it is not a clear cut concept. We can visualize a written word in our minds, with the letters close together and a space before and after.  But in spoken language, words are often not separated by pauses.  If you have studied a foreign language, you may have experienced frustration because the oral stream of language is not neatly marked. How did I know, for instance, that in French 'Comma ta lei vu' (sic) was really 'Comment allez-vous?"  

Small children just learning their first language have a similar problem.  "Let's go bye-bye" probably sounds like one big word to them. As a matter of fact, in Swahili, the romantic sentence "I will love you" is 'nitakupenda', with a whole English phrase appearing as a word (to us, at least) in that language.

But we all have a working definition of 'word' at least. (We'll leave it to  linguists to provide an iron clad definition.) What is of more interest to me is the effect that new words have on speakers of that language.  I myself am delighted by new words.  It's a challenge to figure out how the word was formed.  Then it's intriguing to follow a new word to see if it is being widely used and by whom.

Take the new word 'selfie'.  It was named as the 2013 Word of the Year by the publishers of Oxford English Dictionary.  Click below for definition and more information about 'selfie'.  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/18/word-of-the-year-2013_n_4296009.html

'Selfie' was formed by adding the suffix -ie to 'self''.  It sounds familiar, like 'hippie' and 'yuppie'.   Since I first became aware of  'selfie', I have heard it numerous times on  radio and TV.  I haven't encountered it yet in personal conversation, probably because my friends and acquaintances (myself included) are still trying to figure out how to take any type of picture using these new-fangled devices.  The Pope appearing recently in a 'selfie' probably did much to promote the new word.  I  recently heard a talk show host make a joke that people were now talking about 'ussies', cell phone pictures of more than one person.  

Do you see 'selfie' and similar new words adding to the richness of the language or depleting it?  I would love to hear your opinions on this important matter!   

It's not your grandmother's grammar!

Grammar!

A vaguely unpleasant word for most people,  I would imagine. Disturbing images come to mind. Fill-in-the-blank worksheets.  A strict high school English teacher.  A heartfelt written essay returned bleeding red ink.  A momentary doubt as to whether to use 'lay' or 'lie'. Do I say, "It is I." or "It's me"? And all those rules in grammar books!  Even if a person could memorize them, applying them in the right circumstances would take more time than we have in today's rush-rush world.

But a few of you out there may have already joined the ranks of the Grammar Police.  To this enforcement agency, it is a matter of pride to study traditional usage rules, and, more especially, to use them to correct everyone who doesn't follow them.  Isn't the world "going to hell in a hand basket" if  a preposition ends up at the end of a sentence or an infinitive gets split?  Maybe not.

It may surprise you to know that in Linguistics, the scientific study of language, the type of grammar described above is of minimal importance.  It is labeled as "prescriptive grammar".   This traditional view of grammar "right vs. wrong" belongs to the world of copy editors, English instructors, and overzealous parents (not to mention a few acquaintances who want to prove that they are smarter than you are).

I would like to introduce you  to a much more challenging view of grammar, known as "descriptive grammar". As the name implies, linguists describe the language that real people produce in real circumstances and use it as material to explore what may be happening in the human brain.

Take for instance the sentence "I ain't goin' to do nothing for nobody." Did you just take out your red pen for correction?  Yes, those of us who have gone through the American educational system know that 'ain't' is not acceptable in polite society, 'going' needs a 'g' at the end, and that "doing nothing for nobody" means that you are really going to do something for someone because two negatives equal a positive (in mathematics at least).  So a prescriptivist merely labels the sentence as WRONG.  A descriptivist, however, looks more analitically at the sentence.

The much maligned 'ain't'' is a modified contraction of "I am not". After all, there is nothing unacceptable about "he isn't" or "we aren't.  Do some speakers prefer 'ain't' because it is a natural extension of the subconscious (in the brain)  rule that allows us to combine a form of the verb 'to be' with a negative word? Do some speakers pile up negative words ('not,' 'nothing,' 'nobody') for emphasis?  Speakers of Spanish and Portuguese string negative words in sentences without compunction.  (No voy a hacer nada para nadie.  Eu não vou fazer nada para ninguém.)

So the next time you hear a grammar "error," it may be an opportunity for some deeper thinking.  A linguist's view of grammar opens up a whole world of discovery of the workings of the human brain.  It  is definitely not your grandmother's grammar!







 

Does the term "Linguistics" scare you?

Linguistics.  Are you scared?  If so, you are not alone in the world.  The majority of people who ask what I do in life give me very strange looks when I say that I am interested in and teach courses in Linguistics.  A few are brave enough to ask, "What's that?"  Most just proceed to a more approachable topic.

Several weeks ago, I submitted an application to teach at a lifelong learning institute sponsored by our local university (under 50 years of age need not apply).  The first draft of the course description read like a watered-down version of a university introductory course in Linguistics (the science of language) that I taught for some years. It was stiff and contained unusual (some would say 'nerdy') words like 'syntax', 'morphology', 'phonology', and 'pragmatics'.  With an unusual flash of intuition, I realized that very few normal people out in the world would enroll in this course.

So I changed my approach.  Almost everyone in the world has the capability to communicate using language. The delivery method of language varies, but language still has to be  formulated in the brain.

Here are some questions that I imagine most people will want to know about language:

1. How did language begin?
2. Are we the only living beings that use language?
3. How are we able to find two different meanings in a sentence like "She texted her boyfriend with an iPhone."
4. Should we reject all new words that come into a language? 
5. Why do I have trouble making some sounds in other languages?
6. Is slang to be avoided at all costs?
7. Why do people speak with an accent different from mine?
8. Are certain areas in the brain essential for language?
9. "Can you pass the salt?"  A question or a request?
10. Can adults acquire a second language, or is it all downhill after age 14?

Which is these questions interested you most?  (You can just respond with the number).  I'm still in the planning stages for the new course, now called "Exploring Language", so your opinion is very valuable.

How about Joining the Slow Reading Movement?

Living more slowly has been getting some good press nowadays.  Slow Food is a movement to combat the fast food craze.  Slow Eating is supposed to do great things for your health.  Norway is experimenting with Slow Television. with a new nine hour broadcast about knitting. How about adding Slow Reading to the list of movements?  Foreign languages can encourage you to become a convert.

Do you read too fast in your native language?  I do.  The years I have spent attending classes and working in education have encouraged me to "skim and scan" almost every piece of written material I pick up.  My husband Wayne voices his annoyance when I finish the morning paper before he even reads the sports page.  He says I don't pay enough attention to detail, and I must admit he is right.  For me, it's hit the main idea and move on to the next article.

Reading in another language though.  Now that is a different experience. I have always known that I like to read in other languages, but I never analyzed why.  A few days ago I downloaded Au Bonheur des Dames by Émile Zola ( for free!) on my Kindle Reader. I have become addicted to the Masterpiece Theater production by PBS, "The Paradise." which is based on that novel. Since my French language ability is still in the recovery stage, I had no idea that I would be able to read the 19th century French novel.  But I can! Slowly!  And I am enjoying the reading because I have to concentrate and think about the meaning of the words.

The reading skill in foreign languages has a checkered past.  Before World War I, most foreign language education programs were based on producing students who could read and write in the new language (much like Latin had been taught for years).  In the second half of the 20th century, the primary goal of studying a foreign language became communication, with a heavy emphasis on being able to understand and speak the language.  And I heartily support that goal.  One of my great thrills in life is having a conversation with a native speaker of another language in that person's language.

But let's look at foreign language skills in a more practical manner.  Take my interest in French, for example. Realistically,  I'm probably not going to encounter enough native French speakers at this stage of my like to truly develop French speaking ability.  So should I give up on French study?  Not if I have a new goal, which is being able to read in French.  I can spend lots of happy hours immersed in French articles or literature.  

Here's what I am now reminding myself about reading in other languages.

• Be sure to read something I'm truly interested. Travel stories, yes; sports scores, not so much.
• Develop Stephen Krashen's "tolerance for ambiguity."  I'm not going to understand everything.
• Find a quiet place to read so that I can concentrate.  Foreign language reading takes a little more concentration.
• Do the reading in small doses.  Like about fifteen minutes.

Now I'm not feeling quite as guilty about not chatting up strangers in French on our recent trip to Canada. I'll keep telling myself that at least I can read Émile Zola in the original.