Is Faggot a Decent Word or a Derogatory Expression?

The answer to this question is a “Yes” and a “No”.  How come?  Let me explain.  The reason for this ambivalent answer is a result of the constant evolution of the English language.  It is constantly changing the meaning of its words, as it were alive—live a living creature.  I’ve made this assertion before.

If you look up the word “faggot” in a dictionary worth its salt it will be defined as follows: [North America, offensive slang]  A disparaging term for a homosexual man; a gay man.  The expression is also shortened as “fag”.  But it also means a bundle of sticks and branches bound together or a package of several things tied together for carrying or storing.  The relationship between a bundle of sticks and a homosexual male is odd.  The explanation to this linguistic disparity leads us to our previous assertion that the English language is a living creature—always changing.

In the 12th and 13th century in Great Britain, the expression “faggot” meant a bundle of sticks.  Examples:  “A short distance further lay a little faggot of the same shoots bound together with a strip of bark.”—Typee by Herman Melville.  “He ordered his servants to bring in a faggot of sticks, and said to his eldest son: ‘Break it’—Fables by Aesop.  It was a burning implement used as kindle for a fire or a rustic broom for sweeping and sometimes used as whip.  The word “besom” which is an instrument for sweeping was also used, thus our modern word “broom” which we all obviously understand.

In the 15th century the meaning of the words changed slightly and was used as a pejorative expression for women.  Women were called faggots.  The view of the men of the time was that their wives were a burden, in the same way carrying a bundle of sticks can be a burden.

According to my research, in 1914 the word faggots was first used as a derogatory term for gay men; a generalized insult (fagula, fegula).   Currently the word is used as a derogatory term for gay men or as an informal way to tease somebody; so the meaning depends on the context the word is used.

This is one of many example of a language in permanent change.  The historical transformation of the word faggot is indeed admirable.  Good Day.

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Confusion in the Use of Some English Words

If you are studying English as a second language, you probably agree with me that sometimes its very confusing.  Since I was six I’ve been having my ups and downs with the language, but I keep hanging in there trying to break the code.  Still have a long way to go though.

Some English words are so confusing that many experienced writers have to pause for a second and think when they are about to type certain words.   Some words are so close to others in spelling or meaning that they cause confusion, time after time. For this reason, it’s a good idea to study the most common word mix-up’s, to avoid problems that vex writers everywhere.

If you can conquer these common problems, you’ve made a giant leap forward in the language of Shakespeare.  Here are some frequent offender words provided by Grace Fleming in her article Confusing Words.  This is what she said about confusing words:

“affect/effect: To affect is to produce an effect. Still confused? Affect is usually a verb meaning “to impact or influence.” It might help to remember that “a” is for action and “e” is for result.

accept/except: Accept is a verb, meaning to take willingly. Except is a preposition, meaning “other than.” Remember the phrase “I will accept any food except spinach.” The words “accept” and “except” are in alphabetical order in that sentence. Hey, it’s silly but it might work.

conscience/conscious: Have you ever been present when somebody fainted? It’s scary, because nobody knows which word to use. It’s that bad. Seriously, many well-educated people stumble over this one! “Conscious” is an adjective, meaning “aware,” “awake,” or sometimes “on purpose.” Use this one if somebody faints. It might help to think of other “state of mind” words that have the same ending, like “serious,” or “delirious.” “Conscience” is your sense of right and wrong. It rhymes with “sense.”

fewer/less: If you can get this one right, you’ll be ahead of most of the English-speaking population. You’ll hear this mix-up all over the media! Few and fewer refer to objects that can be numbered. Less refers to a quantity of something non-specific. It might help to think of “less” as a “lump” word. Examples: I have “fewer” dimes and “less” money than you.

it’s/its: The apostrophe in “it’s” poses a real problem for some people. Many people think of possession when they see it. But it’s is a contraction, meaning “it is” or “it has.” It might be helpful to think of the possessive pronoun its in a group with “hers” or “his.” No apostrophe!

to/too: This is probably the most common problem pair, but once you get the difference, it seems so simple! To is a preposition that indicates location or direction, but it also can be used in front of a verb to make an infinitive, like “to eat” or “to swim.” That sounds more difficult than it is. Too is an adverb meaning “excessively” or “additionally.” Either way, this word indicates “an extra amount.” Just think of the extra “o” in too!

whose/who’s: Again, the apostrophe in who’s creates confusion, because it tricks people into thinking it indicates possession. It doesn’t! Who’s is the contraction for “who is” while whose is the possessive form of who. Examples: Whose turn is it to feed the dog? Who’s going to do it?”

Do you feel better now, after getting the grasp of some confusing English words?  I’ll bet you do.  Don’t let the language intimidate you.  Good Day.

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Inside the English Maze

Credit: James Foley

Since it’s origin, the English language has had the following main characteristic:  the capacity to absorb other tongues.  Like a living organism it is growing gobbling up foreign words making it the third largest language in the world after Chinese Mandarin and Spanish.

English has placed its claws in Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Sanskrit; on its journey it takes from French, Italian, Arabic, Chinese and scores of other languages.  English still uses the basic vocabulary from the first invaders, but has added tower after tower of new words and new ideas.  It has released feelings and thoughts all over the planet.  It continues to reinvent English words wherever it goes and shows no sign of slowing down.

As far as England is concerned, the language that became English, arrived in the fifth century with Germanic warrior tribes from across the channel; (e.g., Saxons, Angles and Jutes).  They were first invited over as mercenaries to shore up the ruins of the crumbled Roman Empire, stayed to share the spoils, and then dug in.

The Roman occupation brought in the Latin language, and English is full of Latin words and expressions.  Today I will write about two of them which are often confused—i.e. and e.g.

The Latin abbreviation i.e. stands for illud est, meaning “that is to say” or “in other words”.  i.e. should be used after a statement to explain it another way, typically only one other way but possibly two (more would likely be confusing). It could also be used to define a single word.  Examples:

1. Most crayon users prefer to scribble (i.e. draw erratically).
2. The most common crayon mishap involves a trip to the otorhinolaryngologist (i.e. the crayon has been inserted into the ear or nose.

In the first example above, a single word was defined; in the second example, the word was implicitly defined, but the context of the phrase was clarified.  Use it when you want to give a more precise description of the thing mentioned.

The Latin abbreviation e.g. stands for exempli gratia  meaning  “for the sake of example.”  e.g. should be used after defining a class, to give an example of a specific instance (or more than one; you can offer a list).  Example:

• The simplest crayon sets feature the primary and secondary colors (e.g., red and green).

In the above example, the general class is the noun phrase “the primary and secondary colors“, which if you remember your first art class is the set {red,blue,yellow,purple,green,orange}. “e.g.” here has provided examples from that set.  Do not end a list that starts with e.g. with etc.  This in incorrect English grammar.

 Many English teachers say that it’s more common for people to misuse “i.e.” when they mean “e.g.”, as opposed to the other way around.  Two periods punctuate e.g. and i.e. in U.S. English, where they may be unpunctuated in British English. Surround these abbreviations with commas.

Do not confuse these two abbreviations, which mean different things and have different origins.  I hope I have clarified the confusion as we walked leisurely inside the English maze.  Good Day.

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Lifting the Veil of a Great American Novel

Herman Melville (1819-1891) Credit: Biography.com

After retiring at the age of 62, I had all the time in the world to do whatever I pleased, as long as it was within the constraints of my Social Security check.  I managed to squeeze in a modest P&S digital camera which I later upgraded to a DSLR device for improved photographs.  It was my foray into the fascinating territory of photography.  I’ve enjoyed the hobby ever since.

I also tried being a blogger and opened two blogs.  The first one was Epiac’s Place using a blogging platform known as LiveJournal.   Then I escalated to Lingua Franca hosted by WordPress.  It was another rewarding experience which merged photography and the English language, which had been placed on the back burner for much too long.

In an attempt to liven up my blog, I started to read English books which I purchased from Amazon at bargain prices.  The time was ripe for affordable digital books, also known as electronic books, or e-books for short.  Reading digital books was a piece of cake, using a software called Kindle for Windows which made it possible to download a book in less than a minute for about $9.99 apiece.  Next I saved my pennies and acquired an e-book reader—the Kindle Fire from Amazon.  So far, I’ve read fourteen books, most of them related to the global financial meltdown of 2008.  The last one was the official biography of Steve Jobs written by Walter Isaacson.

All of this was well and good, but I knew my English was still dull and limited.  There were zillion of words I ignored, maybe due to mental laziness I chose to look the other way.  It was time to change course and start a new adventure in the English language.  I set my mind to read books written by classic American authors.  I’m referring to American icons like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck and Herman Melville.

I started with the latter and downloaded his famous novel Moby Dick:  or, The White Whale published in 1851.  I was aware it was going to be a painful experience.  Even though it is a masterpiece, it was written in old English, with abundant symbols and Shakespearean literary passages.  “No pain, no gain.”  This is true, but I was determined to lift the veil of a classic American novel.

Moby Dick:  or, The White Whale was first published in 1851.  It is considered to be one of the Great American Novels and a treasure of world literature.  In this book, Melville employs stylized language, symbolism, and the metaphor to explore numerous complex themes.  The book initially received mixed reviews, but Moby Dick is now considered part of the Western canon, and at the center of the canon of American novels.

The book was based on a true happening in Chile, South America.  The event was the alleged killing in the late 1830s of the albino sperm whale Mocha Dick, in the waters off the Chilean island of Mocha. Mocha Dick was rumored to have twenty or so harpoons in his back from other whalers, and appeared to attack ships with premeditated ferocity. One of his battles with a whaler served as subject for an article by explorer Jeremiah N. Reynolds in the May 1839 issue of The Knickerbocker or New-York Monthly Magazine. Melville was familiar with the article, which described the gargantuan albino whale this way:

“This renowned monster, who had come off victorious in a hundred fights with his pursuers, was an old bull whale, of prodigious size and strength. From the effect of age, or more probably from a freak of nature… a singular consequence had resulted—he was white as wool!”

It is to be noted that Herman Melville from the age of twelve, worked as a clerk, teacher, and farm worker. In search of adventures, he shipped out in 1841-42 and spent 18 months on board the whaler Achushnet.  Due to the many hardships on board, he deserted from the ship and was captured by a tribe of cannibals.  He later was rescued and returned to the United States where he continued to write.  When he died in 1891, he was almost completely forgotten.

Below are small excerpts of  the writing style of Herman Melville from his novel Moby Dick:

“I sat down on an old wooden settle, carved all over like a bench on the Battery.  At one end of a ruminating tar was still further adorning it with his jack-knife, stooping over and diligently working away at the space between his legs.  He was trying his hand at a ship under full sail, but he didn’t make much headway, I thought.”

“However, a good laugh is a mighty good thing, and rather too scarce a good thing; the more the pity.  So, if any one man, in his own proper person, afford stuff for a good joke to anybody, let him not be backward, but let him cheerfully allow himself to spend and to be spent in that way.  And the man that has anything bountifully laughable about him, be sure there is more in that man than you perhaps think for.”

Needless to say, I’m reading more from an online English dictionary than from the book itself.  But I was expecting this.  Reading Herman Melville is not a walk in the park.  It will take a strong will, patience and a lot of linguistic curiosity.  As you already know, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.  Good Day and “commend yourself to the care of heaven.”

Oh one more thing…I wish to thank Linda, author of the blog  The Task at Hand, for showing me the way towards prominent literature.  I thank her greatly.

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Joke: Handyman Hoodunnit

A workman was killed at a construction site. The police began questioning a number of the other workers. Based with past brushes with the law, many of these workers were considered prime suspects. They were a motley crew:

The electrician was suspected of wiretapping once but was never charged.

The carpenter thought he was a stud. He tried to frame another man one time.

The glazier went to great panes to conceal his past. He still claims that he didn’t do anything; that he was framed.

The painter had a brush with the law several years ago.

The heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractor was known to pack heat. He was arrested once but duct the charges.

The mason was suspect because he gets stoned regularly.

The cabinet maker is an accomplished counter fitter.

The autopsy led the police to arrest the carpenter, who subsequently confessed. The evidence against him was irrefutable, because it was found that the workman, when he died, was hammered.

If English is not your native tongue, this joke could require a bit of help from an English speaking person.  However, if your language is English, you’ll enjoy the use of witty puns.  English is a difficult language, but after a while it gets quite fun.  Good Day.

Source:  Miss Cellania

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Having Fun With the English Language

I know, it’s tough, arid, and sometimes irrational.  I mean studying the English language.  But taking a bad attitude will only make it more difficult.  Instead, relax, take a deep breath and try to have fun.  You might fall in love with the language.  I know I have, after all these years.

Maybe the following text will put a smile on your face.  It’s possible that you’ve seen it before, since it’s been around for a while.  Still I feel it puts a twist of humor into the study of the language.  Here we go.

“Let’s face it – English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren’t invented in England or French fries in France . Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t grocer and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn’t it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all.  That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

P.S.    Why doesn’t Buick rhyme with quick?”   Good Day.

Thanks Don!

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Failed English Signs

As you probably know, polishing my English is one of my main New Year’s Resolutions.  If you have been following my posts, you have already read a couple of articles on this subject.

Yesterday I found several images that depicts bad use of the English language.  That means that there are other people who are also having problems with the language.

Let’s take a look.  Here we go.

I would say Adios to these used cars. Would you? (Credit: Oddee.com)

No wonder she didn't win the Presidential election. (Credit: Oddee.com)

The People at Crestwood Village must be very proud of their English heritage. (Credit: Oddee.com)

After viewing these pictures, I don’t  feel so bad about my English.  Good Day.

Source:  Oddee.com - 15 Misspelled Signs

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To Hyphenate or Not to Hyphenate, That is the Question

Another confusing area of the English language, is the use of dashes, hyphens and right parentheses.  This was pointed out by a dear reader of Lingua Franca. I told him it would be part of my yesterday’s homework.

For some reason, writers and editors have a tendency to overuse hyphens.  They won’t lose an opportunity to put these horizontal characters in their work, even if they don’t need them.

Below are thirty words that should not be hyphenated, even though you will find them split in half in many Web sites. Maybe at one time these words were hyphenated, but they aren’t any more.

backstabbing
breakup (noun)
breathtaking
comeback (noun)
counterintuitive
downright
hobnob
latchkey
mainstream
midweek
nevertheless
newfound
nighttime
nonetheless
nonstop
overdo
overexpose
overpriced
overrated
oversized
postpartum
preteen
rendezvous
roundup (noun)
secondhand
sidekick
sightseeing
sourpuss
straightforward
woebegone

I’m keeping this list handy.  It’s a good writing reference for my future posts.  How skillful are you with hyphens?  Good Day.

Source:  30 Words That Don’t Need a Hyphen – Terribly Write

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Proper Written Communication

I’ve been blogging for approximately five years now.  As everyone else, I was terrified during my first few months.  First, because English is not my native language and second, because I had no previous experience in writing publicly.  I feel this is a great responsibility.

Even though I have been studying English for more than fifty years, I still consider it a challenge to communicate in English.  There are so many different ways to express an idea; and it gets even more complex if you plunge into local expressions known as idiomatic phrases or idioms.  Each English-speaking country has its own particular idioms, which mean absolutely nothing to others who don’t live in that country or particular geographical areas within that same country.

Spelling errors, typos, incorrect sentence structure, bad grammar, sloppy writing styles, and poor content will all add up to losing credibility.  If you’re not careful in ensuring that your writing follows the rules of the language, you’ll end up with only one reader—yourself.

I commit myself to proofread very carefully what I write in Lingua Franca, but now and then, some typos seem to leak between the cracks.   Considering this fact, I read my posts several days later to see if I discover some unwanted pesky typos.  I usually do, and immediately correct them.  If I don’t, please let me know.

I was surprised of the many English mistakes that are included in mainstream Web sites, newspapers and/or  magazines.  I recently stumbled upon a Web site dubbed, “Terribly Write” which dedicates valuable time to detect these English errors. The name of the author of this site  is Laura, and she follows failed English like a hound dog.

This is what she wrote on her site about this issue:

“With the billions and billions of pages floating out there in the Web galaxy—and the billions and billions of words they contain—it’s no surprise that you’ll notice an occasional typo or grammatical slip. But, every typo, misspelling, wrong word, and punctuation misstep erodes the credibility of a website.”

I believe Laura hit the nail right on the head.  Constant errors in your posts will kill your blog, not matter how hard you try to keep it afloat.   By clicking this link, you will find some of the many English mistakes detected by Laura during her linguistic explorations.  Yahoo seems to be one of her favorite targets, as you will soon find out.

Another one of my New Year’s Resolutions, is to keep Lingua Franca as clean as possible from sloppy use of the English language.  I know, it’s a steep hill that requires a lot of work and dedication.  But you the readers, deserve that and a whole lot more.  Good Day.

Source:  Terribly Write – Laura

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Diddling With English Words

As you probably know, I’ve been struggling to learn the English language for a very long time.  So long, I don’t even remember how long.  But I keep struggling; “hanging in there” as they say.  I like the expression, “Practice makes perfection.”

This post is about playing with imaginary English words, which I feel will put a smile or two on your face now that the weekend has started.  Here we go.

English is a dynamic language where words are many times altered and adapted to create clearer meanings in context. With this in mind:

* Instead of the category “other”, does the Pentagon use MISSILEANEOUS?

* Is the process of growing grass for cows called PASTUREIZATION?

* Is the habit of giving your word to others but never keeping it called PROMISECUITY?

* Is a system under which nothing ever gets better called FUTILEISM?

* Is the fan mail that backup singers get called CHORUSPONDENCE?

* Are organically grown herbal medicines called FARMACEUTICALS?

* Was the age when pork and mutton pretty much all you ate called MEATIEVAL?

* Is having a sweet tooth that kind of sneaks up on you called SYRUPTITIOUS?

* If one is contemptuous of rubdowns given by women, is one MASSAGEYNISTIC?

* Are crossword puzzle events that benefit charities called FILLINTHROPIC?

Note:  Adapted from the L.A. TIMES Sunday, 11/15/09 crossword puzzle.

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