Cyril Nadar - Week #8 - I have no words, but I must speak
Words carry value and power, society revolves around the usage of words to command and convey. What happens when these words start losing their value? Semantic bleaching is when words start to lose the full weight of its meaning through overuse. I think we can all think of at least one word that really shouldn't be used in most contexts. For example, starving meant dying of hunger, but now it just means your hungry, or tragedy meant something that causes immense suffering, but now people use it to describe simple things like missing the bus.
Our words are also starting to become more bleak. They are losing their precision which ruins the beauty of language as a whole. Deep emotions such as enraged and agony are being simplified to mad and painful. Nuances of our language are being lost and what is left is a boring black and white canvas. It is like playing “Merry-Go-Round of Life” from “Howl's Moving Castle” without a pedal. Sure, it sounds fine but with the pedal, you get to hear the emotions and the synchronization of quarter and eighth notes played in perfect harmony.
The digital age has also contributed to this “mutilation” of language. It encourages speed and efficiency which is evident in acronyms such as “LOL”, “IDK” and “TL;DR.” Even though we get to get our points across faster, it also bypasses the mental thinking, making “I don’t know” to “idk.” Another form of “digital mutilation” can be seen when we start removing the vowels in words. For example, please is shortened to “plz/pls” and message is shortened to “msg,” all the vowels being removed.
Language is often considered one of the most important aspects of a culture. It shapes traditions, builds communities, and molds identity, all important aspects of one's culture. If the words that we use are starting to lose their value, then would that mean culture is also degrading as well?
The simplification of the human language is an epidemic that saddens me. I feel as humans our biggest privilege is being able to communicate in various ways. Language is more than just a means of communication, it is a way to create “culture” and “traditions” that cannot be replicated. Your example of “Howl’s Moving Castle” really puts things into perspective. Despite being such a moving song on its own, the pedals and even the rigor that one puts into playing transport you into Howl’s kitchen where Sophie is cooking breakfast on Calcifer and is feeding him eggshells. There are types of languages that don’t even require speaking but rather just an understanding. I’ve always wanted to learn sign language because I think communicating without words is such a remarkable thing. The connection people can make without uttering a single sound just goes to show how language can be so versatile. Not to mention how the adaptation of different languages has greatly influenced society today with things like “drip” and “cap” developing from AAVE. Things like music and language show us that being human is more than just living but embracing the authentic connections made through everyday interactions.
ReplyDeleteHi Cyril, thanks for opening up this discussion! I agree with you wholeheartedly about how words are “losing their precision.” I partially think the core reason is how irony and satire are becoming more prevalently common. These days we joke and over-exaggerate about what is a “tragedy” or how we are “starving” but because of this change in the way we speak, there is an unintended side effect of not carrying the same “value and power.” However, I think that it is unnecessary to change our contemporary ways of speaking to keep the “beauty of language.” Personally, language is first and foremost a means of communication and a way to be able to enjoy other people's company. To me, as long as language can fulfill those criteria, the “nuances of language” are just semantics and do not truly mean anything. I highly doubt “culture is also degrading” because of using “acronyms” during “the digital age.” Language is too old and is cemented in ourselves at school so it is not degrading because of the contemporary way we speak it. We still read old, more classical language like In Cold Blood which keeps the “value” of our language intact.
ReplyDeleteI think your take on this is really interesting. I have to admit, I am a victim of semantic bleaching. Constantly, I am using acronyms like “lol,” “idk,” “nvm,” and even saying “you” as “u.” This has become such a habit for me that I don't even think twice about it. I’m not sure if I would call it “losing their value,” but at the same time, I’m not sure what I would even call it if not that. I think it's just an overexaggeration, since when I am really hungry, I would say starving, or when I say I'm freezing when it's really just a little cold. I feel like it's also the same for emojis, since the sob emoji is known to be used when we find something funny rather than something sad—same thing with the skull emoji. I feel like it's not that culture is degrading, it's more that language is changing as we grow. It could also just be a “trend,” since people thought the laughing emoji was cringy but are getting accustomed to it again.
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