Blogger: Etta Wilson
Location: Books & Such, Nashville Office
Weather: Hot
Nowhere is the mashup in our language more obvious than in computer land. Sitting right in front of my screen or laptop I can find a vast array of foreign words and phrases that are apparently now au courant in English. Some are being used for novelty and freshness, some because English lacks the exact meaning desired, and some for a sort of secret code. Some like espirit d’escalier, which means failure to deliver a timely response, may fit in any of those categories
I can hear readers reminding me that we’ve had books of these words and phrases around for quite a time. Very true, and they keep coming. Foreignisms: A Dictionary of Foreign Expressions Commonly (and Not So Commonly) Used in English by Tad Tuleja is a recent one. But using that book means a trip to the library or bookstore, while Google will immediately throw up a list of richly rewarding sources such as Luke Mastin’s “Foreign Phrases Commonly Used In English.” A quick search of the 25 German phrases listed at his site revealed such words as angst, gesundheit, kitsch, verboten, and zeitgeist. A few of those words sprinkled in a historical novel about German settlers will really help characterization.
Even broader and perhaps more useful is the site at www.omniglot.com. I could spend hours exploring this site’s “Writing Systems and Languages of the World,” and its many categories from “Greetings” and “Small Talk” to “Idioms.” If we invent a French character who is prone to brag about some accomplishment, our first inclination might be to have him (I’m sure it’s a him!) say, “It’s as easy as falling off a log.” But that has a decidedly American feel with a twinge of pioneer flavor. According to omniglot, a more characteristic French equivalent would be, “It’s as easy as sticking your fingers in your nose.” Those French are expressive!
All this to say our readers are more educated, more accustomed to hearing and reading about cultures other than their own, and more eager for richly inventive writing. I think many publishers are looking for the same kind of stuff. Boot up and enjoy. It only takes une moment pour le mot.
And what is even more fun is when an author takes a common phrase and has someone from another language butcher it into his own understanding.
This is not a good example but taking “as easy as falling off a log” might become “as easy as falling off the tree.”
I play golf at a club where the owner’s daughter married a man from Mexico. He does this all the time, and I need to start writing down these funny, unintentional twists he uses.(He’s really smart and funny, but trying to understand Hoosierisms can be a stretch.)
Robin Jones Gunn does this so well in her latest Hawaiian book, Under a Maui Moon. It made for some really funny moments.
Thanks so much for the link to omniglot.com! I’m sure that’s a site I’ll use often.
Thanks, Etta. Today, I’m reading your post as high school English teacher, not as a non-fiction writer. You have given two sources that I can use in my classes. One of our indicators for my courses is how English has developed and how it influences the rest of the world. Having sites that I can refer to and/or send my students to is so helpful. Thank you for the information and have a great day!
Thanks for the links. I’ll bookmark them for reference. Word use and phrases also change with the times. It occured to me yestreday…if we no longer type why do we continue to call a mistake a “typo?” Should we change it to “keyboardo?” More accurate, but we wouldn’t use that term even though the younger generation has never used a typewriter.
For a fun and interesting perusal of our wonderful English language, read Bill Bryson’s The Mother Tongue (English and how it got that way). Not only an entertaining read, but insightful. I laughed, cringed, gasped and laughed some more.
“Keyboardo”–I love it though I think you’re right that it will never replace typo. Last Saturday I sat in on a class about writing aphorisms–really stimulating and calls for a sharp wit, like yours Melinda.