Less is Fewer
C
~by Mark Blackwell
ommunicating these days seems to be getting harder and harder. Know what I mean? The fact that people even ask that question proves my point. Conversely, when a point is not clear or a wrong word or phrase is used in a conversation, people will often make the statement, “You know what I mean.” I usually don’t, but it does get me to thinking about what is happening to our ability to understand each other. In the Bible there is the story of the “Tower of Babel.” The story begins with everybody speaking the same language, getting along good, and working at building an old testament version of a skyscraper. But after a while, a curse is levied and they are all made to speak new and different languages. Well, the next thing you know, nobody knows what the next feller is saying, and that brought about some serious misunderstandings and general confusion. The whole tower constructing project came to a screeching halt. And that is exactly the sort of predicament I believe we’re cursing ourselves into.
My analysis of the current situation leads me to think that there are several reasons for folks to have their own language. The first is geography. When a group of people reside in a specific locality it makes sense for them to develop and share common language. That way they can be pretty sure of who belongs in that locality and who don’t. Also, it makes it easier to wage war on folks who talk funny [civil wars and some revolutions excepted]. Then there is evolution—languages, in general, don’t stay static. If you don’t believe it, just try reading Beowulf or The Canterbury Tales. Also, the evolution of language is helped along by the different generations and sub-cultures of speakers wanting to put their particular “brand” on it. And that brings us to the subjects of slang and jargon. Slang denotes what the younger generations bring to their native tongue and jargon is what other sub-cultures do to it. It is a way to claim ownership of language and a way of defining an in-group. Who doesn’t want to be hip, hep, cool, and groovy? Slang is also a part of language that is under constant renovation. What was once “far out” and “mind-blowing” has become “awesome” and “epic.” Going back to my Biblical analogy—“aware” begat “hip” and “hip” begat “woke”—and on it goes. Jargon is, primarily, the creation of professions and other sub-cultures. It linguistically defines a boundary between practitioners of various corporate and/or religious ideologies and the hoi polloi. However, jargon is defined by the hoi polloi as mumbo-jumbo. Even the riffraff have their version of jargon. I can understand the idea of slang and jargon, it’s wanting to be in an “in” group—one of the team, so to speak. What bothers me is what I call linguistic laxity. Continued on 66
62 Our Brown County Sept./Oct. 2021
