Ghost Road by Pat Barker

Ms. Haiku

I just finished the book referenced above. It was a quick read, but because the writing is so interesting. I felt a distance from the characters, and I don't know why. Well, one character, the one that I felt the most distance from, is a character who is known to keep a distance, so there you go. I have not been as interested in a book while I read it in a long time. I think it's because the writing is very good. Anyway, the distance character(Prior) writes the following in his journal:

"I honestly think if the war went on for a hundred years another language would evolve, one that was capable of describing the sound of bombardment or the buzzing of flies on a hot August day . . ."

Recently the English language/dictionary includes "email" and other technological terms. What do you think will be added to the dictionary in the next 20 years? Do you think more words from languages of the Middle East will be included in the English language? Do you think new technological terms? What do you think?

FinsburyParkCarrots

I've read that book. Good read.

I think George Orwell invented much of the language of our future (and even present), in "1984".

Ms. Haiku

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

I've read that book. Good read.

I think George Orwell invented much of the language of our future (and even present), in "1984".

Yes, but is it worth reading or is it preachy? Oh wait, I think I may have read it. I don't remember. . . would you recommend reading it?

FinsburyParkCarrots

Bibliobella wrote:

Yes, but is it worth reading or is it preachy? Oh wait, I think I may have read it. I don't remember. . . would you recommend reading it?

Definitely. It's a macabre comedy really, as well as a prescient dystopian fiction.

Ali

I think that new words are constantly added to the dictionary.
I mean...I guess if they are of a latin derivative,theyre in there,
unless theyre used also consistanly in English culture.

God I wish I had time to read a book!!!!
Its all plays for me!

ISN

I agree with Fins, it's definitely worth reading, and I might read your recommendation, although Proust is waiting in the bookshop for me to pick-up....hehehehehehe.....seriously.....read other books of George Orwell.....I haven't read animal farm, but I've read coming up for air (brilliant).....burmese days (excellent).....down and out in paris and london (very prescient too).....and 1984 is great (check out the film Brazil - did you know Fins Brazil was filmed at Senate House - the administrative centre for the University of London, which houses the main library (and apparently has a secret cache of occult books too)

FinsburyParkCarrots

Ali wrote:

I think that new words are constantly added to the dictionary.
I mean...I guess if they are of a latin derivative,theyre in there,
unless theyre used also consistanly in English culture.

God I wish I had time to read a book!!!!
Its all plays for me!

Well, market forces determine a need for technological change and words are often invented to name new machines and the culture that develops from their use. For example, here's the Online Etymological Dictionary's explanation of the word "tractor", that named an invention of the industrial revolution that came about through social/business need:

1856, "something that pulls," earlier used of a quack device consisting of two metal rods which were supposed to relieve rheumatism (1798, in full Perkins's metallic tractor), from M.L. tractor, from stem of L. trahere "to pull, draw" (see tract (1)). Sense of "an engine or vehicle for pulling wagons or plows" is first recorded 1901, from earlier traction engine (1859). The meaning "powerful truck for pulling a freight trailer" is first found 1926; tractor-trailer is attested from 1949.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=t&p=16


Here's something to ponder. I think a lot of the time, in the thinking of PC, certain people take a rather illogical quasi-whorfian view (from the premise "language determines social being") that you can only get rid of racism and sexism by removing words from our language. They claim rather incorrectly that Gramsci (personally one of my favourite thinkers) proposed this notion in his writings on evolutionary, ideological revolution, but really this is a rehash of Whorf's thinking. The gist is, if people remove common epithets from "allowed" discourse, then prejudice will cease. To me, that's like saying that people will stop building skyscrapers if we ban the word skyscraper. No, words are the product of our social conditions and we modify the language by changing the structure of our society. Words will come into usage and go out again when the way we live changes materially. Therefore, social being determines language, not the other way around. Attitudes will change when economic migrants and minorities are allowed by a fairer system of government to integrate materially and socio-economically, and are given better funded education and healthcare, maybe; and that all denominations of class, race and gender adapt to actual social integration on a "lived" level rather than through designated language-laws?



This thread allows for all kinds of thoughts about language, Bibliobella. Thanks.