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June 29, 2007

Language Quirks « Stuff Important to Me »

I was asked to give blood today. I didn't have time. I very nearly added an explanation that I used to give blood religiously, but stopped myself in time.

Because later I was thinking: what would that literally mean? If I say I gave blood religiously, you would probably take my intent that I used to give regularly, as a matter of principle, as if it were as important to me as observing my religious rituals.

But literally, it might mean that I would whip myself with a scourge until I drew blood (as practiced by Shiite Muslims and some Christian sects), or I might pierce my chest with rawhide thongs and be drawn up to the ceiling by it until I came up with my name in the induced delirium (some plains Indian tribes), or I might lay down on an alter and have my head, heart, or other body part removed (Incas, Mayans, Hawaiian tribes...maybe nearly any pre-industrial pagan group).

Which made me think: what if someone said they used to go to church religiously...

How else would you go to church?

All of which leads to the realization that there are many words that gain a different meaning in common use than originally intended, and thus language changes and evolves.

So "I could care less" means the same as "I couldn't care less". And "fortuitous" picks up the feeling of being fortunate, and so on, and people use "literally!" to mean "figuratively, with exaggeration for emphasis" (as parodied in the Saturday Night Live "...literally!" sketches).

Maybe you can throw the two opposite meanings of "cleave" in that mix, too.

Posted by Nathan at 03:23 PM | Comments (21) | TrackBack (0)
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