Odd Words I
Have you ever looked at a word after typing/writing it, and think, "Did I write that correctly?" You know, some word you use all your life? Even something as simple as door. You look at it, erase, try "dore", and that doesn't look right either. So you try it back and forth and eventually give up, then return to it later and think, "Why did that look so odd to me?"
Yeah, I've had it happen to. I usually can't remember the word afterwards, either. Door is one that I did, and I know I had one two days ago, but I can't remember exactly what it was.
This is a little interesting to me, because it brings out the question, "Why did they design this word like this?" Which, if you pull your view out further, becomes, "Why does our language look like this?"
Who decided that the letter "a" would refer to many things, including labeling the following word as a singular item? "A dog" means one dog, and no more. Who was it that originally came up with the word "Hypothesis"? Think of some of those odd words that you've heard in your life. Why on earth would someone think up that word, and add a meaning to it?
I've often thought of words as something that evolve with us. I've often thought (especially after that old book Frindle) that you could change the meanings of words, or add new words to the dictionary. But these things don't seem to happen all that often. And, if they do, it's by some large group that use them too much. The word "emo", for instance. Since when does "emotional" mean "suicidal wannabes", anyways?
Another experiment that is fun to do is to chant a single word over and over, repeatedly. The letters "KO" are particularly amusing, since you'll start wondering if you're saying "Knock-out", or just being agreeable, after a few seconds.
Words seem to lose their meaning if you use them too much. Try chanting "change", quickly, for a period of 30 seconds or so. The word will start sounding unweildy to you. Like it is too hard to pronounce. Odd.
Words are just odd, I guess.
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Posted Feb 3, 2007A thought-provoking entry that has changed my perception of the world, yet again.
Emo? Well, the term has been rendered through its misuse, from "emotional", to "emotional hardcore", to "suicidal wannabe".
Words do seem to lose their initial intended sense not only if used too much, but if used at all.
As for chanting "change", quickly, I don't think I could do that without feeling I just did something reprehensible.