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Truth be told…
As a writer I’m interested in phonosemantics – the branch of linguistics that investigates how vocal sounds (phonemes) have archetypal meaning as well as emotional signatures that are perceived cross-culturally. Phonemes provide the building blocks of meaning for a word. … Continue reading
Tautologies & superfluities
The “keep it simple” (KISS) approach to writing is not all that new. Two thousand years ago, the Roman philosopher Seneca advised that in expressing oneself, “We do not need many words, only effective ones”. Thomas Jefferson, principal author of … Continue reading
Posted in Language Use, Words
Tagged crisp communication, oxymorons, quotes, superfluities, tautologies
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Mandela on writing
While reflecting on the remarkable life and legacy of Mandela, I perused some of the many letters he wrote, mainly to family, during his 27-year incarceration. I chanced upon the following apt words of encouragement he wrote to his daughter, Zindzi, on … Continue reading
Posted in Language Use, Words
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It’s actually quite good…
The nuances of the meaning of words, according to culture and standards of politeness, makes for fascinating study. Duncan Green provides a decoding table for British expressions on his blog at http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=5672 The British are masters of understatement (which is … Continue reading
Acronym FAQ
Acronyms are brief words formed from the initial letter of a bag of other closely associated words. The word “acronym” was coined in the forties, blending the Greek words “akron” (top, tip) and “onoma” (name). So the first letter of … Continue reading
Posted in Language Use, Letters, Words
Tagged abbreviations, acronyms, initialism, neologisms
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Homophones visited upon me lately
Lightning recap. Homophones are words that have a similar pronounciation but different spelling and different meanings. They continue to be the bane of literate society. The following homophones brought some levity to my dismal week of copy chopping: An email from a client, with a … Continue reading
My karma ran over my dogma
However objective you may wish to be as a writer, there will always be a lens through which you perceive and colour the world. Your writing will reveal shades of your cultural identity, political affiliations, moral compass and “education”, for example. The … Continue reading
On the economy of writing
“It’s always just 26 letters of the alphabet and a handful of punctuation, and that is so staggeringly elegant… it’s just you and the page, and there is something very addictive about that.” – Alan Moore
Words with charisma
Everyone has their stable of favourite words. Which of yours hit the sweet spot of delight? Here are a few that blow my hair back: LUCIDITY (as in a profound “AHA” moment), VOLUMINOUS (hair which I have not) and SAGACITY (wisdom / good judgment) – which my thinning pate proclaims to celebrate. … Continue reading
Posted in Language Use, Uncategorized, Words
Tagged charismatic words, loan words, neologisms, onomatopoeia
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What’s in a name?
Generating names for a product, brand or company is part of the copywriter’s repertoire. With the dotcom explosion having monopolised nearly all names and permutations thereof, wordsmiths have resorted to semantic associations, creating hybridised names as a creative way out of this impasse. … Continue reading
Posted in Language Use, Letters, Phonemes, Sound Symbolism, Words
Tagged phonosemantics
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