From: Kennita Watson (kwatson@netcom.com)
Date: Wed Nov 13 1996 - 09:25:35 MST
>On Tue, 12 Nov 1996 QueeneMUSE@aol.com wrote:
>
>> Awhile ago I begand compiling a list of outdated words which not only did not
>> CORRESPOND to our day to day life, but perhaps were detrimental, or ENTROPIC.
>> At the very least undermining advancment.
>>
>> One good example is the use of SUNRISE, and SUNSET>
>
>Bacause it is really the Earth that turns? Better words would be
>dawn and dusk.
Like hell. Visualize "sunset". Now visualize "dusk". Which image do you
want to remove from your list of communicable images (I don't know about yours,
but my image of "dusk" has no sun in it)? What kind of 1984-type language
reductionism is this? why don't we just call them "light-start" and
"dark-start"? Yeesh.
Sorry for the outburst, but I love the English language for its richness.
>> Anyone have any good ones to add to this lexicon of loser linguistics?
>
>Teacher - student (they imply a one way transmission of knowledge)
>Patient (why be patient when you are a patient? :-)
"Patient" comes from the Latin root "pati-", "to endure". I can certainly
see how that applies to both senses of the word. Saying that someone (like
a doctor) makes a "horrible patient" captures both at once.
"Teacher - student" is a relationship that applies when someone who has
certain knowledge has agreed to transmit it, and someone else has agreed
to receive it (or in school to at least be present while it's transmitted --
sigh). That the teacher might learn something in the process doesn't
invalidate the relationship. Sorry, I think this one has a place in the
language, too.
BTW, if I had to pick a word whose concept I'd like to erase from the language,
I think I'd have to pick "sin" hands-down.
Out of curiosity, what would you do with "fall in love"?
Cheers,
Kennita
Kennita Watson | The bond that links your true family is not one of blood,
kwatson@netcom.com| but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do
| members of the same family grow up under the same roof.
| -- Richard Bach, _Illusions_
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