SC - Period word usage-OT-probably OOP

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/27/99 1:57:16 AM Eastern Daylight Time, stefan at texas.net 
writes:

<< So, cook, feastocrat, headcook, chef, cuisiner, kitchener, hash slinger
 are all the same to you? >>

Basically, yes. That's why I use Kitchen Steward. :-)

The point I was trying to make is that the use of a word by a particular 
individual ought to be assessed solely on the way it is used, not the word 
itself. If a word like 'smalls' , for instance is obviously being used to 
describe physically immature humans, I would think that anyone who takes it 
out of context and sees it as a reference to underwear is being not a little 
bit foolish and is showing some lack in communication skills. The use of a 
particular sound to designate a perceived object is at best arbitrary so far 
as 'speech' is concerned. The proliferation of different sounds for the same 
object by different groups of humans shows this be true. Of course, there are 
a few notable exceptions such as the sound 'ma' which almost universally 
refers to 'mother' but for the most part it is merely a matter of getting 
enough people to use the same sound to describe the same object and 
...voila!...a legitimate usage of the sound has been established. I would 
venture to say that enough people use the word 'smalls' to describe children 
that an added definition of the word would be more appropriate than taking 
issue over the use of this sound to mean something else.

A better example is the word 'nice.' Today it is used to refer to something 
pleasant. In the middle ages it's meaning was foolish or wanton. In the early 
French, as well as Latin, language it meant ignorant and is derived from 
"nescire- not to know 'Yet, given the negative reaction of some to the usage 
of small for children, and using the same logic, I find it hard to believe 
that no one ever takes offense at being called 'nice.' Nor do they negatively 
respond to people who use the word nice in an SCA setting.

Setting double standards are not a good thing in any setting and language is 
no exception, IMO.

Ras
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