THE MYSTERY OF LANGUAGE

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Our language has wisely sensed the two sides of being alone. It has created the word  loneliness to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word solitude to express the glory in being alone.
--Paul Tillich

ACTIVITY THREE

Despite the community’s emphasis on precise language, language is often used as a tool for social control in the giver. Choose two or three words used in the society (examples are release, newchild, stirrings) that distort or conceal the meaning of the words we use now in order to promote the rules and conventions of the community. Think about how their use affects the behavior and attitudes of the people in the community.

TASK

• Look up the meaning of euphemism using an online dictionary. Copy and paste entry information using Microsoft Word. Submit both the definition and answers to the following questions to your teacher.
• What does Jonas's community really mean by the following words?

release (p.2), feelings (p.4), animals (p. 5), nurturer (p.7),
stirrings (p.37), replacement child (p.44), elsewhere (p.78)

• How does Jonas's community use euphemism to distance itself from the realities of their world? Be specific.
• How does our society use euphemism to distance the realities of death, bodily functions, aging, etc? Give examples.
• What benefits and disadvantages are there to such uses of language? Provide examples for each.

HOW YOU WILL BE GRADED:

You will receive points for answers to the above questions.

Resources

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
http://www.m-w.com/