Thursday
October 18, 2007
Using English
English is a difficult language to use, particularly because it has a strong impersonal characteristic.
Unfortunately, that characteristic comes with serious meaning limitations. Most diminutives used in other
languages cannot be expressed in English. Note that diminutives are commonly employed to express increased
humanitarian, affectionate meanings. Well, that's the way things are. However, a limited lexicon does not justify
using impersonal, inhuman expressions in English. For example.
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"a bundle of joy"
This is unbelievable; how could someone use the word "bundle" when referring to children? No human being
deserves that inhuman comparison, and definitely not the children. As for the word "joy", no decent,
sane parent uses that expression. We love our children, we care for them, and we know we have a terrible burden to
educate our children properly. Only pedophiles use the word "joy" to refer to children; therefore,
please, cease using that vulgar expression on TV. Children are only RESPONSIBILITY: the most important and the
most serious responsibility of all!
"put your money where your mouth is"
This vulgar expression was first "issued" by poker players about one hundred years ago. Lately, many TV
anchors/reporters use it instead of "honest", "reliable", "worthy", etc. Note that
other inhuman "accounting idiomatic expressions" are also more and more the preferred forms of
expression: "it make dollars sense"; "I don't buy that"; "show me the money";
"shop until you drop"; etc. Those expressions are not only vulgar; they are also impersonal and inhuman.
Unfortunately, that is exactly the actual state of inter-human relations in N. American culture: more and more
inhuman with each passing day.
"female" and "male"
The level of general education is unbelievably low in N. America today. Children end high-school in a
semi-primitive cultural state. However, if you ask their teachers, then you may discover that they perform a
tremendous job: "the best one possible in the entire world"!
Well! The meaning of the words "female" and "male" is "animal or plant feminine
gender" and "animal or plant masculine gender". Both words "female" and "male"
have the implicit meaning of "animal" included. Using them in dialogs, or in official documents, is an
inadmissible humiliation: people are treated as animals.
Note that the same words "female" and "male" are used in many Latin-roots languages (both
words are of Latin origin), but only to name animals and plants. It is an abomination using those words to address
people, in other languages.
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Despite the fact English has some humanitarian meaning limitations, it remains a wonderful,
civilized language. On the other hand, there are expressions of increased humanitarian content in English which
are unmatched in other languages; this is, of course, if you know how to "speak" in English.
Pronouncing the English words well or perfectly means exactly nothing people. The only thing important in English
is the meaning, first of all, and then you can look at a nice form of expression. Note that a nice form of
expression without little "substance" is both meaningless and useless; in other words, absurd.
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