One of the (few) benefits of having lived three score years
and ten, is the chance to observe the way our wonderful English language has
morphed over that time.
English is flexible, organic and versatile. The way it is
used in political discourse demonstrates this.
Let’s look at a few well-used expressions.
“Illegal” is a good example for starters. It has been
appropriated from across the Pacific and applied to what our government calls
Unauthorised Maritime Arrivals (UMAs).
Before wee Johnny’s “Pacific Solution”, anyone using the
term “illegals” would have been looked at quizzically, and asked “illegal/s
what”? It was, after all, an adjective, not a noun.
Other nouns are converted to verbs. “Medal” is a good
example.
Then we have “illegitimate”.
Back in the day, this word was used to describe a child born
out of wedlock. I doubt that most Gen Xers would have any understanding of its
use in that context.
Then there is “guy”. Again, it’s a trans Pacific import, but
its meaning has morphed from the individual male to the non-gender specific collective.
It’s now a word used to address a group of both genders. Strange….
Some words are relatively new. An example is “awesome”.
Apparently, it originates in California surf slang of the
1960s, where it meant more or less anything from "good" to
"incredibly amazing". I don’t remember hearing it until the early
2000s, but I’m always a little behind the trend.
Occasionally, words are invented. If the person doing the
inventing has a profile, the word usually enters the lexicon quickly. Pauline
Hanson talks about “Straya”. I think she is referring to my native land, but I
can’t be completely sure. After all, most of what Hanson says is her own unique
form of patois, understood only by Harpics.*
Many words are so over used that have been worn out. An
example is “icon”. An icon was, for eons, a devotional painting of Christ or
another holy figure, typically executed on wood and used ceremonially in the
Byzantine and other Eastern Churches.
It is now used repeatedly by all kinds of media to describe something
as a representative symbol or as worthy of veneration. That’s OK. What
irritates me is that it is over-used to the point of abuse of the original word
and its meaning.
Then there is the language used in the political arena.
Generally, political language labels rather than describes. A
favourite way of shutting down a discussion is to label your opponent. It’s
used by those with a binary disposition who find analysis difficult.
That’s another trend imported from across the Pacific, as is
the hyper partisanship that is wrapped up in it.
The study of language continues to fascinate me. I hope,
gentle reader, you share my obsession.
*Those so far to the Right that they are completely round the bend. Derived from the slogan of a toilet cleaning product - "clean round the bend".
