Short Stories From 10 Years Ago – March 16, 2004
The Beauty Of Language & The Wonder Of Words
Short Stories From 10 Years Ago – March 16, 2004 – I remember taking Latin for three years in high school. Mr. Stevenson was my teacher. Of course, none of us in grade 10 really wanted to study the language, but if I recall, the alternatives were music or German, so Latin seemed like the lesser of the proffered evils.
We had a saying, not unique to our Latin class I’m sure, but we used to recite it on our way to Mr. Stevenson’s room – “Latin is a language as dead as it can be – it killed off all the Romans and now it’s killing me”. Since then I’ve come to realize that there were other significant factors that ensured the demise of the Romans, but at the time I thought Latin was certainly the most significant.
It’s interesting now to see how many words are adapted from Latin, and looking at the derivation of words is really quite extraordinary. Words give us the gift of language, and language allows us to communicate, to write and read, to reason and to share our thoughts and opinions with others. The power and beauty of words have driven mankind to his worst acts of depravity and his most sublime moments of joy and glory.
Harsh words can wound us and rob us of our peace of mind and dignity, but kind words can touch our hearts and soothe our souls. All languages have words and phrases off beauty and clarity that hold special meaning for both the speaker and the listener. Think for a moment how nice it is to hear any of the following things, from people with whom you have a close friendship, from family members to people whose paths cross yours, socially or professionally:
I love you.
Thank you.
I appreciate your friendship.
You make a difference in my life.
You did a great job.
It will be nice to see you again.
You make me laugh.
I know you understand how I’m feeling.
I’m sorry.
Please forgive me.
You’re so kind.
It will be easier next time.
You will recover.
You can always count on me.
It’s okay to be frightened or nervous.
You can do it – don’t give up.
Your ideas helped me a lot.
I’ll call you next week, but if you need to talk sooner, let me know.
Thank you for remembering me.
I smile whenever I think of you.
You believed in me when no one else did.
Let me help you.
It’s often said that the Romance Languages such as Spanish, French, or Italian are more expressive than some of the harsher languages such as German or Russian. That may be so, but think for a moment about the beauty of English words. What comes to mind when you think of these words, and associate them with people, places and things that are or have been important to you.
Mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter, home, country, freedom, giving, water, earth, sun, winter, kindness, laughter, moonlight, silence, fortunate, blessed, healthy, happy, family, bliss, share, man, woman, genuine, loyal, honour, integrity, friend, puppy, soft, kitten, fresh, spring, fluffy, blessings, summer, joyful, autumn, good-bye, welcome, family, prayer, gift, appreciation, satin, promise, silk, funny, birth, death, survival, universe, heaven, faith, flight, feel, touch, beauty, soar, perfume, brave, courageous, gallant, generous, protective, supportive, memory, reverence, marriage, compassion, belief, surrender, passion, acceptance, baby, snowfall, breath, mystery, strength, imagination, challenge, holy, flowers, life, celebration, children, peace, music, sacred, forgiveness. heart and love.
It’s not possible to say these words without recalling an experience you’ve had with loved ones, family or friends. Taking the time to think about what you’re going to say before you speak, can be a great way to edit harsh or unkind words from your conversation. You may regret things you’ve said, but for the person on the receiving end of a caustic or cruel remark, it may be something that stays with them for a lifetime.
If you strive to be kind, your choice of language and words will change. Mr. Stevenson used to tell us that language was like a remarkable work of art and that it was a gift and a blessing. The older I get, the more I realize the wisdom of his words.
