MENACE TO SPEECH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22122, 30 May 1935, Page 8

MENACE TO SPEECH

MODERN TENDENCIES * UNDESIRABLE INFLUENCES CRITICISM BY PROFESSOR Dangers to the Equality 0 f th language were seen by Professor W a Sewoll, professor of English at Aucl land University College, in a number of influences he discussed yesterday be fore the Auckland Creditmen's Club The address, which was entitled "Words," was given at a luncheon meet mg of the organisation to Milne and Choyce's Reception Hall, Mr. J. \ C Allum presiding. ' The speaker explained the signific ance of words as symbols recalling sitn* ations of which the hearer had experi" ence, and said, while there were words* such as "pantechnicon" and "parallelo. gram" which did little to stir feeling there were many words of emotional content. These include "night," "doom" and " love," example. Basic words in the language were almost wholly full of feeling, and they were mostly of Saxon origin/com ing down with the richness of the'tradi* tional associations of the people. Memories were properly clustered around words of this description, but they became, too, the cheap and common currency of charlatans j n words, the " cheap jacks " in literature and poetry. They were to be heard in sentimental songs, but even this kiiid of usage did not destroy their-emotional validity. " Linguistic Eacketeers " There was an even more damaging use at the hands of people the speaker described as "linguistic racketeers" The seriousness of the ill-judged use of words should be recognised to a greater degree, an offence of this nature being the use of emotional words without the justification of an emotional background. This practice was to be observed clearly in the presentation of the merits of motion-picture players. " If you see Mr. Clark Gable huggb lg Miss Constance Bennett, you are jiot led into the realms of high romance which you are told to expect; you have a delicious, but rather meretricious thrill," stated Professor Sewell. "1 have to mark essays, and I notice the extended use of these extravagances. Certain adjectives cannot now be used because they have been debased." Similar offences were committed in speech, but chiefly among women, who had a habit of " gushing" in words. The habit was spreading to men. The expression " perfectly dreadful "»might, for instance, be applied to a reception to a duke, a thunderstorm or a hat belonging to another woman. " Dreadful " could not now be used in decent literature. Professor Sewell mentioned the word " awful " as another badly-used expression. The word should be full of meaning, he said, but it could scarcely be used in the conversation and writing of intelligent men. The expression " simply marvellous " was in the same category. " J think this is not merely amusing," commented the speaker. "It is a very serious threat to the language. It is due to an attempt to exaggerate the importance of an utterance by the use of emotion-laden words." • Judgment of Nations The practice of using emotion-laden words instead of those conveying thought specifically was also to be observed in public speaking, continued Professor Sewell. The great difference between ejnotion and thought content in words was not generally realised The practice had very wide effects. There was the use of " Bolshevik " as a term of abuse. Many people did not use the word for what it was, or with any thought of its background. They merely experienced a feeling concerning the word; it was unpleasant to them, and they put it away from them. Matters of this kind were of the first importance, the speaker considered, and they actually had a bearing on international affairs. In the emotional feeling that was given to words Germany, Russia or Italy became metaphysical entities which they were not. Personalities were created by the feelings, when these nations ware not personalities but groups of people with their differences. If the effect of this emotional feeling could be realised to a greater degree, he believed international friction would be eased. Nations were thought of too easily in the terms of a single word. In other activities there was also the tendency to dismiss a problem with a single word. Slang and Poetry " Another menace is slang," state;l Professor Sewell. " If we do not look out slang will put decent language ' on the spot.' Slang has a proper function. It is the copper coinage of language, but it should not be allowed to become the whole of the language. It is not flexible. It means so much that it comes to mean nothing at all." Professor Sewell considered a greater warning against slang should be given in the schools. He also regretted the decay of the habit of reading poetry, a decay which was sad and a damaging comment on modern life. Poetry organised the emotions, and if more attention were paid to it people would not be so easily misled by the use of motion-laden words in everyday affairs. Poetry was one of the few bulwarks against the disorderliness and extravagance he had described.