Words, Words, Words

I love the English language. I love books. By my computer, there are several references--Webster's 20th Century Unabridged Dictionary, Roget's Thesaurus, the Complete Works of Willie the Shake, and a King James Bible.

I'm not a language snob. I love idioms. I realize that language is a process, not a product. There's a lot of poetry in phrases like, "ain't real broke out in brains," and "et up with cute."

One of our problems with English is that we have very little interest in the origins of the words we use; in fact, most of us couldn't care less. If we did pay attention, we would not be confused among "sight," "cite," and "site." "Sight" is Anglo-Saxon (seon--to see), and means the act of seeing, or the quality of vision, among other variations. "Cite" comes from Latin (citare--to summon), and, in modern use, means to quote. "Site" also comes from Latin (sedere--to sit), and means a place or position.

The biggest problem with understanding English is that it is formed from so many different sources. Latin, Greek, French, Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Gaelic have all contributed words, syntax and grammar to the language we know as English. It's difficult enough to learn as a first language, let alone a second.

I like to think I can express myself fairly well, but opening a dictionary on almost any page is a humbling experience. Usually, I am familiar with less than half the words displayed.

In the words of Olive, in Neil Simon's "Odd Couple--Female Version," "It's a tricky language."