On Language

Headshot by The Slip
[audio:http://theslip.com/mp3/TheSlipHeadshot.mp3]

Alright, I’m going to try to build up a semi intelligible argument here, but it may take a while, so stick with me while I lay the foundation.

Almost every disagreement, however petty, can be boiled down to a dispute of definition. As long as a both arguments are supported by logic, one word can be identified as the concept they are disagreeing upon. A simple and popular example is abortion:

Each side disagrees on when life begins. Pro-Lifers believe that life starts on conception, and Pro-Choicers believe that life begins upon birth, or even the severing of the umbilical chord. Whatever your stance, what matters here is that the definition of ‘life’ is being contested.

Another, more comical, example comes from former President Bill Clinton:

It depends on what the meaning of the words ‘is’ is.

Ok, maybe that last one isn’t so relevant, but no matter. There are obviously thousands of other examples, and I’ll leave you to find those on your own. Now that we have established that the root of all disagreement is definition, let’s move on.

Swear words have been taboo, from high society to simple farm-folk, for as long as they have existed. I’ve always wondered why. The only reason I was ever given by my parents was that they are ‘bad words.’

I think the explanation is related to the concept above. Most swear words have lots of different uses. I often use the word ‘shit’ as a synonym of ‘stuff’ instead of it’s literal meaning. When I talk about “all that shit in the corner” it is very rare that I am actually talking about a pile of feces. And of course the word ‘fuck’ can be used in countless parts of speech (as shown by this popular video). Since ‘fuck’ can carry so many meanings with it, the intended meaning can easily be obscured. So while it may be totally innocent in its intent, the possible derogatory or sexual meaning could offend people who misunderstand.

In 1986 Frank Zappa went on Crossfire to argue against censorship in the media. Several times throughout the program he defends explicit lyrics by saying “They’re just words.” But he is disassociating the ideas from the words. This isn’t an argument for censorship, by any means, but it may be an argument against versatile words. Even words that aren’t considered ‘swear words’ can fall into this category. When a normal word becomes widely used as a slang term for some meaning other than its original, it can cause confusion similar to the swear words.

‘Gay’ is a great example of one of these words. Originally ‘gay’ was used to describe fun, or happiness. Over time, its meaning gradually changed to refer to homosexuals, to the point where its original use is no longer the primary one. And past that, the term ‘gay’ became used to describe something undesirable (this use obviously stems from homophobia). So if I use ‘gay’ in a sentence, it could be just a misconstrued as many ways as ‘fuck’ can.

Just food for thought.