In a word

Here is a list recent events regarding language:

(1) A friend's blog posted the latest craze of using 6 words to describe your love story.

(2) This week in English class we discussed the origin and use of the word 'OK'.

(3) Henry of Super Junior M discussed on Strong Heart that one of the hardest parts of adapting to Korean culture was understanding the Korean pronunciation of English words.

(4) During an activity, I asked a friend to describe himself in 3 words.  His choices? "White trash vagabond."

(5) Eunhyuk, of Super Junior -ness, upon hearing a translation in Chinese of an answer he had given in Korean, thought he heard them say a bandmate's name, "Shindong" and corrected them with, "No!  I'm Eunhyuk." Which made the translator laugh and explain that she had actually said, "心動" (xin dong).

(6) In the play I read yesterday, the list of characters is given with a very short explanation of their personalities.  E.g. Chambermaid ... an astute one, Mrs. VanAustin ... a social climber


Isn't language a fascinating thing?  When I compare Charles Dickens to modern literature, I find modern literature is written in short, brief, concise sentences.  The descriptions are short rather than elaborate.  However, on the flip side, in our modern use of language, one word can have many different meanings so that the word 'awesome' which used to be something that inspired an almost reverential awe, it can now describe anything that someone finds interesting.  Along with countless other words.

Add that to the idea that English is now an international language whose words and uses have been pulled into languages across the globe and we have a language that is vibrant and changing, a language where we can describe ourselves in perfectly succinct vagueness.

But when it comes down to it, are words really adequate to perfectly capture a person?  a moment?  a memory?  or a feeling?