Communications Origins, Misconceptions, and Regional Thinking

Recently I have been watching the show Misfits on Hulu as I really like science fiction and show like this. Quite a few times now when referring to the trunk of the car, they called it boot. I thought to myself, oh those silly English people messing up the English language again! Come to find out Trunk is used in North American English and Jamaican English boot is used elsewhere in the English speaking world.

Elsewhere in the "English speaking world"!? As in everyplace but North America (and apparently Jamaica)! This reminded me of the thought I had back when the internet was young as my horizons grew with more people I spoke to. I began to realize how sheltered, and perhaps a bit naive I have been as an American growing up in a small community. I suppose without the push for mainstream internet and making this world becoming a little bit smaller, all persons (not just Americans) would have a lesser understanding of the other people we share the world with.

I suppose this is just evolution, how communication grows and develops. often times I wonder where did that word originate from. A quick internet search tells us modern Romance languages like Sardinian, Rumanian, Italian, French, Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese are later version of the Latin language, that spread with the Roman conquest of Europe. After the breakup of the Roman Empire regional dialects of Latin evolved into more modern Romance languages a language family (a group of languages that have evolved from a single earlier language).

English is a West Germanic language that came about in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was later to become southeast Scotland. Influence from Great Britain and the United Kingdome (British Empire) who pushed it around the world, becoming the leading language in many areas. There are some fluctuations and influences such as Old English and it would seem quite a few English words have roots in the Latin language as well as some influence by Vikings (Old Norse language).

That's all well and good, but I still have to wonder how some words are changed or different. Boot and trunk (apparently trunk is a place you put your clothes in), Fawcett, Stopcock and Tap, Toilet, John, water closet, bathroom, Ladies/Gents, Public Convinces.

I suppose it could be based on region, even here in the USA, Soda pop, pop, coke, are all used in generic terms for a soft drink. I believe in the UK fizzy drinks is generally used. Northern UK Pop is common for a soft drink (not to be confused with Corporation pop of the past in England for tap water) Soda would be plain carbonate water.

Recent words that are seemingly generated out of nowhere also got me thinking. Words like Virus that seems logical, you as a human have a virus, a bug, you're sick, naturally something that effects your computer would be called a computer bug or computer virus. I however take issue with words like Viral or gone Viral referring to something that has become popular through the process of internet sharing, not something caused by a virus as you might suspect.

Telecommute is also a word that no one seems to agree on. Telecommuting is an employee who has flexible working hours and locations, sometime referred to working from home. Telecommute is also defended as working from home, yet job after job listed with Telecommute most job posters seems to think that is referring to a job where you will be doing a lot of traveling from the office. I can see how the two can be interchangeable, but we really need to separate the two. Someone who works at the office and travels can be called Telework(er) and someone who works from home (only) we should just call that Telecommute. There problem solved, please make a note of it.

There is an old saying, "It's not What You Say, But How You Say It". I guess the important part is we are trying to communicate, and all of us should try and make the effort to understand each other. You will broaden your horizons and enjoy the variety of life.

"The only way to have a friend is to be one."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson