I should like to begin this piece by noting that I am not entirely sure whether I have mentioned that I am somewhat obsessed with language; not just this or that particular language, but language as a concept — what Noam Chomsky called our “capacity for language.”
I have always been immensely interested in learning different languages, and although I fluently speak three languages currently, nothing would be more delightful than having the opportunity to learn one more.
One of the languages I am drawn to the most is, of course, the English language. English is the richest language in the world with the largest vocabulary of over 1 million words. English is also the language of Shakespeare, of Poe and Wilde, of Dickens and Wyatt, of Asimov and of Lovecraft.
What I especially love about the English language is its adaptability and melding of words — melding means to announce, but the word has evolved to marriage between the words weld and melt — in order to produce newer and richer ways of discourse.
With that in mind, I thought I should devote the remainder of this piece, in celebration of the imminent and much awaited arrival of the weekend, to sharing some of my favorite English words with you.
One of my favorite words is “boanthropy”. Before describing this word, I want to say that we’ve all had days when we felt this: the cumbersome nature of daily life, of being shackled in chains of capitalism (i.e. employed full-time), of marriage and relationships, and by the end of the day you think you are an ox. Boanthropy is a type of insanity in which a man thinks he is an ox.
Another favorite of mine is “meupareunia”. It is obviously no secret that men are often accused (mostly by women) of being selfish. This accusation seems to have gone beyond the day-to-day arguments over parking spaces and lines at the grocery stores and has made its way into our bedrooms: Meupareunia means a sexual act gratifying to only one participant.
Another favorite is “eyeservice”. My initial thoughts were similar to yours: this word has something to do with optometry. But no, it actually means to get a job done only when the boss is watching.
I find it kind of sad that the brand of discourse to which we are all used is somewhat mundane, boring and predictable. It is rather amusing how, regardless of the topic, people tend to describe their thoughts in such limited ways.
This is the end of my “word limit” for this column, so I guess this is goodbye. (The word goodbye is a contraction of the phrase “God be with you.”)
Next time you want to annoy the kids at the Secular Free-Thought Society table by Hayden, keep on saying “goodbye” to them.
Reach Sohail at sbayot@asu.edu
