Communicating Difficult Topics - The Humanities

Transcript

1. difficult topics in the humanities What you do is just common sense, right? Marc Alexander 17 April 2015 English Language, University of Glasgow  marc.alexander@glasgow.ac.uk  @marcgalexander  orcid.org/0000-0002-6337-2632  www.researcherid.com/rid/B-1663-2010  glasgow.ac.uk/thesaurus  speakerdeck.com/marcgalexander
2. the humanities are counterintuitive
3. intuition and armchair linguists Everyone speaks language Therefore everyone knows about language This knowledge is implicit But some easy introspection makes it explicit Just like how everyone has dna so can understand easily how it works ... The Humanities are Counterintuitive Language is Never Ever Getting Worse Special Difficulties 2
4. adjectives Robert Charles Lee An ugly little short ragged old orange striped Greek silk wedding dress * A little striped ragged orange wedding old Greek short silk ugly dress The Humanities are Counterintuitive Language is Never Ever Getting Worse Special Difficulties 3
5. how many words...? acoren OE • acorenlic OE • æltæwe OE • ænlic OE • anlic OE • deore OE • dryhtlic OE • eacen OE • fulgod OE • fuslic OE • herigendlic OE • micel OE • seldlic OE • syndorlic OE • til OE • wlitig OE • special a1225– • breme a1300–1377 • gradely a1300– c1400 + 1863– dial. • noble c1305– • thriven and thro a1310–a1450 • burly c1325–1535 + 1873 • singular a1340– rare • dainty c1340–1712 + 1816– dial. • gentle c1375–1556 • proper c1375–1826 • before- passing 1382 • goodly c1385– • daintiful 1393 • thriven a1400– a1400/50 • thriving a1400–c1470 • price/prise a1400–1615 • vounde c1400 • virtuous c1400–c1430 • curious c1420–1742 + 1816 US dial. • principal c1430–1609 • fine c1440– • gay c1470–1593 • rare 1483– • singlar c1500–1542 • egregious c1534–1855 • gallant 1539–1851 • eximious 1547–1868 • jolly 1548– • jelly c1560/73–1871 Scots • braw c1565– Scots • brave 1577–1850 • stamming 1578 + a1825– dial. • surprising 1580–1831 • excelling 1581– • phoenix 1583– • royal 1583 Scots + 1853– • of worth c1586– • rare 1596– • admirable 1598– • sublimated 1599– • valiant 1604 • excellent 1604– • twanging 1609 • topgallant 1613–1849 • lovely 1614– • prestantious 1638 • splendid 1644– • sterling c1645– • spanking a1666– chiefly dial. & colloq. • hogen/hogan a1672 • pure 1675–1884 slang • licking 1680– slang • rattling 1690– • tearing 1693–1850 slang + 1897 US slang • soaring 1695– • famous a1700– • yrare 1742 • pure and ... 1742–1769 + 1865 dial. • daisy 1757– slang US • immense 1762– slang • capital 1762– • elegant 1764– slang • trimming 1778–1828 slang • gallows 1789– dial. & slang • budgeree 1793– Austral. slang • crack 1793– slang • dandy 1794– slang, orig. US • smick-smack 1802 • super-extra 1807– • great 1809– • first-rate 1812– • swell 1812– colloq., now chiefly US • grand 1816– colloq. • divine 1818– • slap-up 1823– slang & colloq. • slapping 1825– • pure merino 1827– Austral. slang • jam(-up) 1832– colloq. • rip-roaring 1834– orig. US • severe 1834– colloq., chiefly US • tall 1835/40–1852 US slang • slick 1837– • lummy 1838– slang • flash 1840–1841 • slap 1840–1851 slang • prime 1842– colloq. • exalting 1844 • ripsnorting 1846– orig. US • clipping 1848–1873 slang • supernacular 1848– • stunning 1849/50– colloq. • shrewd 1851 • jammy 1853– colloq. • slashing 1854 • ripping 1858– slang • rorty c1864–1866 slang • screaming 1864– slang • slap-bang 1866 • nifty 1868– slang • fair 1871 fig. • up to dick 1871–1877 slang • spiffing 1872– colloq. dial. • heavenly 1874– colloq. • clinking 1876 • fly 1879– US slang • high-grade 1880– • all wool and a yard wide 1882– • nailing 1883–1884 slang • gorgeous 1883– colloq. • stellar 1883– • gaudy 1884– slang • fizzing 1885– slang • raving 1886 Dict. + 1892 • way(-)up 1887–1909 slang, chiefly US • jim dandy 1888– US colloq. • yum-yum 1890– slang • outasight 1893– colloq. • smooth 1893– • corking 1895– slang • hot 1895– • super 1895– slang • extra-special 1896– • hot dog 1896– US slang • out- of-sight 1896– US slang • to die for 1898– colloq., orig. & chiefly US • yummy 1899– colloq. • deevy 1900– colloq. • v.g. 1901 • v.h.c. 1901 • divvy 1903–1924 slang • doozy/doozie 1903– slang, orig. & chiefly N. Amer. • bonzer 1906– Austral. & NZ slang • bosker 1906– Austral. & NZ slang • crackerjack 1910– colloq., orig. US • smashing a1911– colloq. • hi 1911– chiefly US • jake 1914 slang, orig. US • keen 1914– colloq., orig. US • bobby-dazzling 1915 • game ball 1916– slang • juicy 1916– • posh 1918– slang • snodger 1919– 1924 Austral. & NZ slang • jake(r)loo 1919– Austral. NZ slang • wicked 1920– slang, orig. US • four-star(red) 1921– • wow 1921– slang, orig. US • wizard 1922– slang • peachy 1926– slang • shrieking 1926– • crazy 1927– slang, orig. US • terrific 1930– colloq. • plenty 1933– slang • neat 1934– colloq. • solid 1935– US slang • tough 1937– US slang • fantastic 1938– colloq. • ready c1938– US slang • ridge 1938– Austral. slang • extraordinaire 1940– • sharp 1940– orig. US slang • super-duper 1940– colloq., orig. US • righteous 1942– US slang • stud 1944– chiefly US slang • (real) gone 1946– slang, orig. US • supersonic 1947– colloq. • cool 1948– orig. US • groovy 1948– slang, orig. US • réussi 1948– • ripe 1948– slang • w(h)izzo 1948– slang • gear 1951– slang • rolls-royce 1951– • ridgey-didge 1953– Austral. slang • whizzing 1953– slang • wild 1955– US slang • magic 1956– colloq. • finger- lickin'/licking (good) 1958– orig. US • swinging 1958– • a treat 1959 colloq. • fabulous 1959– • ridiculous 1959– slang • whizz- bang 1959– slang • peachy-keen 1960– US slang • boss 1961– now US slang • fab 1961– colloq. • uptight 1962– slang & colloq. • diggish 1963– slang • unreal 1965– slang, chiefly N. Amer. & Austral. • neato/neat-o(h) 1968– slang, chiefly N. Amer. • radical 1968– slang • together 1968– slang • bad 1971– slang, chiefly US • bad-assed 1971– slang, orig. & chiefly US • brilliant 1971– colloq. • superstar 1972– • Tiffany 1973 • bad(-)ass 1974– slang, orig. & chiefly US • bodacious 1976– slang, orig. & chiefly US • premier cru 1978 • killer 1979– • awesome 1980– slang • stonking 1980– colloq. • brill 1981– colloq. • rad 1982– N. Amer. slang • to die 1982– colloq., orig. & chiefly US • mega 1985– colloq. • kicking 1989– slang Historical Thesaurus category 02.06.01.06 – 224 adjectives meaning excellent The Humanities are Counterintuitive Language is Never Ever Getting Worse Special Difficulties 4
6. how many words...? Excellent Immediately Drunk To die Contemptible person Stupid person Terms of endearment What next? Mental illness, 188 words; Prostitute, 149 words? The Humanities are Counterintuitive Language is Never Ever Getting Worse Special Difficulties 5
7. language is never ever getting worse
8. singular ‘they’ Somebody left their usb stick in the lab. Would they please collect it from me during my office hours? “When the style-smashers first announced, decades ago, that the neutral ‘he’ meant ‘male’ and excluded ‘female,’ they were lying and knew it. After all, when a critic like Mary Lascelles writes (in her classic 1939 study of Jane Austen) that ”no reader can vouch for more than his own experience,” one can hardly accuse her of envisioning male readers only. In feminist minds ideology excused the lie, and the goal of interchangeable sexes was a far greater good than decent English. […] The fixed idea forced by language rapists upon a whole generation of students, that ”he” can refer only to a male, is (in short) wrong.” David Gelernter, Weekly Standard, 3 March 2008 The Humanities are Counterintuitive Language is Never Ever Getting Worse Special Difficulties 7
9. singular ‘they’ “‘Tis meet that some more audience than a mother, since nature makes them partial, should o’erhear the speech.” Shakespeare, Hamlet (1599) “Now nobody does anything well that they cannot help doing” Ruskin, The Crown of Wild Olive (1866) “I would have every body marry if they can do it properly.” Austen, Mansfield Park (1814) “A person can’t help their birth.” Thackeray, Vanity Fair (1848) Caesar: “No, Cleopatra. No man goes to battle to be killed.” Cleopatra: “But they do get killed.” Shaw, Caesar and Cleopatra (1901) The Humanities are Counterintuitive Language is Never Ever Getting Worse Special Difficulties 8
10. opinions on language “I have always loved the English language, and to hear it being massacred on a daily basis, not only hurts my ears, but hurts my heart. I feel sorry for kids today, because I am seeing and hearing that, even in schools, the proper use of the language is not nearly as important as it once was.” “The ideas that as long as you can be understood, or, what is the difference?, and that is good enough, are the types of things that lazy people say when they cannot be bothered to do it right. I graduated from the school of, anything worth doing is worth doing right. Adding this to the long list of things that people do not care too much about kills me.” The Humanities are Counterintuitive Language is Never Ever Getting Worse Special Difficulties 9
11. opinions on language “Some of the key factors for the decline are, in my opinion: ∙ text messaging and e-mail. ∙ the hip hop industry. ∙ a general tendency to making everything easier, without regard to losing touch with the basics. (read: laziness) ∙ an increasing number of people who are satisfied with doing things their way, even if it is not the correct way.” Anxiety sells. The Humanities are Counterintuitive Language is Never Ever Getting Worse Special Difficulties 10
12. opinions on language “What is more, even grammar, the basis of all education, baffles the brains of the younger generation today […] There is not a single modern schoolboy who can write a decent letter.” William Langland (1332-1386) “gramere þe grounde off all bygylethe now chyldren for ys non off þes newe clerkes whoso nymmethe hede that canne versyfye fayre or fovrmelyche endyte ne not on amonge an hvndrethe an avtour can constrewe ne rede a letter” Piers Plowman 15.373-6 “…by comyxtioun and mellynge firste wiþ Danes and afterward wiþ Normans, in meny thynges þe contray longage is apayred, and som vseþ straunge wlafferynge, chiterynge, harrynge, and garrynge grisbayting” John Trevisa, 1385 The Humanities are Counterintuitive Language is Never Ever Getting Worse Special Difficulties 11
13. special difficulties
14. death threats People have strong feelings about Gaelic. The Humanities are Counterintuitive Language is Never Ever Getting Worse Special Difficulties 13
15. rape trials Lawyer: I am not going to tell every bad thing you have ever done, do not worry about that. Lawyer: Lastly, and as I say this is only intended to be a summary, matters culminated in - I think you said 1985, but I think you mean 1984 in fairness to you, at the end of 1984 - when he came into the bedroom and said ‘Today is the day.’ You took that to mean that he wanted sex with you? Lawyer [each question followed by agreement]: He didn’t have a gun. Is that correct? He didn’t have a knife? He didn’t have a weapon of any type. Is that correct? He never showed you any weapon. Is that right? He never hit you? He never slapped you? He never punched you? There was no bruising at all to your face, was there? There was no bruising to the front of your body or breasts or any area like that, was there? The Humanities are Counterintuitive Language is Never Ever Getting Worse Special Difficulties 14
16. swearing How do you discuss swearing without swearing? The Humanities are Counterintuitive Language is Never Ever Getting Worse Special Difficulties 15