meaning changes and can even fade away

[miriam_e]

Strange how words shift and change in English. People who use computers often talk about their computers booting, or that they boot their computer up. Ask them what they think it means and they realise they have no idea beyond the immediate meaning of starting the computer.

It actually has a really nice, almost metaphysical meaning. In the very early days of computers we had to enter code by hand as a set of switches in binary numbers, each representing a very simple instruction to the microprocessor. It was slow and tedious, stepping through memory positions, entering in these numbers by hand. Then when the code was run it would start reading a program from a punched tape reader or some other device. This was considered to be rather an awesome feat, somewhat like lifting yourself by your own bootstraps. Later it became referred to as bootstrapping the machine, and still later it was simplified to just 'boot'. I love the idea of starting the machine being like someone lifting themself up by their own bootlaces. :)

There are lots of words that change in strange ways in English. The word 'let' is an especially odd one. It originally had the opposite meaning. These days it means to enable. It originally meant to obstruct or hinder. You can find it still being used in its ancient meaning in law, because legalese is so... modern.

This is one of the things I love about English. It is crazy and illogical, but it is a truly democratic language -- the most flexible in the world. It is constantly changing. English is defined, not by stuffy professors of language, but by the ordinary people who use it... us.

Comments

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

But at the same time we retain the ability to change it back. (Like changing "dyke" from a bad word to a neutral one.) If some authorities had total control over the language then it could likewise be corrupted, but we wouldn't be able to repair it. Though, as annie_lyne noted above, that would likely just give rise to a split in the language -- the "authoritative" form and the "street" form.

But, yes. You're right. Language is such a powerful tool for both good and bad that we ignore the ramifications at our peril.

One of the oddest things I've seen again and again is when people think words are powerful for completely the wrong reasons. They confuse the symbol for the thing it represents, which is why people believe that spells, incantations, and spoken prayers have power. It always surprises me how many people have this problem.

The power of words lies in the way they can be used to tug on our emotions and subvert our logic. That can be a good thing when poets and novelists use it, or a bad thing when politicians or advertisers manipulate our motives.