Word

The word tattoo has two distinct definitions that hold no relation to each other. The meanings originated from different parts of the world and were introduced to the English language at different times. The only thing tying them together was the fact that they were homophones until the spelling of the second meaning was changed making tattoo a homonym. The word “tattoo” that means a rapid, rhythmic tapping originated from the Dutch word “taptoe” meaning, “close the tap of the cask.” A more…

Banished words are words or phrases that can be misinterpreted, misused, overused, or otherwise deemed useless. Every year Lake Superior States University releases a list of banished words. These words come from a variety of sources across the entire country. These banished word nominations are sent in and a committee makes their decision of which words make the cut before the end of each year. Inspired by words on the Banished Word List, our team was tasked to come up with 10 words which we…

Words have a way with me. Some would say I got the expression backwards, but I can’t explain it any other way. Ironic really for a word enthusiast, but the things that mean the most always seem above the words that describe them. A passage leaves a more lasting impression than a piece of art. A novel can strike an awe into me that is bigger, brighter, and more fantastic than the night sky itself. I’m just a word addict in every sense of the term, devouring any book in sight, listening to TED…

very formal words that might be strange in our life. The words are words that is not what maybe an American or someone else would use a whole lot of times. We put a lot of slang into our words. They have a lot of different words, but they are all still words. So let’s start off with some of the strange words that they might use in the community. One of the first words in The Giver birthmother. Most people use the word birth mother still to this day, but most of us people use the word…

Apple. As you read the word “apple” your brain makes an association between the five calligraphic symbols strung together into a word that produces a mental image of a fruit. Precision of language is often essential in communication because another suggestion of those five letters is the multi-billion dollar computer company founded by Steve Jobs: *APPLE. Everyone has heard the cliché: “a picture is worth a thousand words.” The question is: what words? Every word represents a unique idea or…

have been abbreviations of words, ways to make the spoken language simpler and shorter. This has become more advanced over time, but it is clear that American English, at least, is not to the point of 1984’s Newspeak. Despite the more limited vocabulary that the 2016 world has, English has eliminated few words with such basic and primal meanings and uses as “good” or “bad.” However, Newspeak has gone considerably further, to the point where they have cut out “useless” words like “bad” and…

The work Daisy Miller, by Henry James contains many key words that stand out to a reader. Many of these words repeated through out the text, and their meanings can change as a reader continues to read. Some of these words appear as many as 51 times like “American”, or “society” which only appears 12 times. When put together, these key words tend to show the reader what the story or work is truly about. One word that appears more than any other is “young”, which appears 138 times in the text. The…

Language is a system of words that humans use to communicate and get their message heard. Deborah Tannen, Scott Russel Sanders, and Langston Hughes bring mention that the greatest influence to a person’s perspective is language. In “’Bossy’ Is More Than a Word to Women”, Deborah Tannen recognizes that the word bossy is a common word used to negatively describe women; sending them the message that exercising authority deems them unlikable by various organizations. Conversely, Scott Russel Sanders…

history, there are many words that were once used. Some have been forgotten but some have made it through time and still remains with us in today's world. But no word has stuck with us Like the infamous “N” word. A word that many people find to be bad and disgusting and totally inappropriate due to its background. But beyond all that bad reputation of the word, there are still people who tend to use the word as a reference to their friends and family. Over time many words have changed in…

Weight of the Words on My Shoulders The spoken English language contains many words with double meanings. In fact, it seems like almost every word can have a different meaning given the right emphasis and context of the surrounding sentence. This is a lesson that Gloria Naylor learns in her story “Meanings of a Word”. In this story a young, third grade age Gloria makes a comment on a young white boy’s score on a math test. This child then calls her the “N” word, leaving Gloria confused yet…