Language is never neutral territory. However, it is my belief that it should be, because after all, the sole purpose of language is to communicate and to communicate clearly. It's only made controversial by a minority, who are usually ill educated and because the better educated allow to them get away with it.
In my first year history studies in South Africa we have been given the following activity to carry out;
Identify words or phrases in a (specified) extract which modern historians would not use.
The model answers given were; Hottentot, tribes, wretched creatures, natives, higher races.
I should like to state up front that I’m in no way criticizing grammar, pronunciation, spelling or accent as I most definitely am not qualified to do so. I am the only adult I know of in South Africa, who is unable to produce a piece of paper to prove that they have passed an examination in the English language. Whether this says more about the abysmal standard of my English or the teaching of English in South Africa, I’ll leave others to decide.
Whilst I’m not worried about the non English words being discouraged, as I don’t normally use them myself, I’m concerned with the removal of many valuable words from the lexicon, especially when no suitable replacements are offered, as was the case here. As a monoglot Hiberno-English speaker, I find that there are less and less English words that can be used, as some politically correct person, usually a non native (useful word isn’t it) English speaker takes umbrage at them.
Whilst the problem does not exist in discussions within my own tribe (another useful word), my dilemma is I am beginning to run out of politically correct words and terms, which may be used these days in societies with large non native English speaking groups, as is the case in South Africa. I therefore tend to steer clear of discussion with these groups in case I inadvertally offend.
The word “Native” has a meaning and nuance beyond the word town, home, locality, village, parish or even townland, which are all words in my vocabulary. I do however feel that I describe myself better when I say that I’m a native of “Tralee”, rather than when I say “I come from Tralee”. It carries within it a sense of belonging which no other word has. It is also used extensively in a poetic sense, as can be seen in the lyrics of the immigrant songs composed and sung by immigrants all over this world and in that context it brings one closer to one’s roots.
The word “tribe” also has a meaning that goes beyond the term family and it has a less derogatory meaning than the term “clan”. It describes persons who share a common language, culture and belief system. I would not normally use this word “clan” except within the native English speaking community. Within the Scots/Irish tribal system the term “clan” has a special meaning as belonging to an extend family who share the same surname. The term “clan” is from the Gaelic and its actual meaning is children of a family sharing the same surname. Why non native English speakers do not object to being referred to as “children” is beyond me but may have something to do with their lack of understanding of the true origin of the word. It may be a case of “ignorance is bliss”. It would however make more sense if the word “clan” was banned when referring to groups of people.
And how can I forget my early childhood that I spent with my Nanny and Granda in western Ireland as a little boy and it was as a hurt little boy that I went crying to my Nanny to banish my pain after falling and skinning my knees, The cure was to be enveloped in her arms and to hear the sympathetic and endearing words “there, there, you poor wretched crater (creature) come in and I’ll make it better”. How in Gods name can removing such soothing words help to improve the English language?
It is my belief that any word, expression or term can be made derogatory simply by facial expression, tone of voice or body language. Some are past masters of this art and one has only to recall the term “he can tell you to go to hell so that you look forward to the journey”. I’m also sure that it is only a minority of native English speakers, who are usually the ill educated ones, who refer to others in a derogatory way. It is therefore unfair on the majority of us who use our language correctly and as it has been handed down to us from a time before the term political correctness was conceived.
We should be on our guard as we and our language will be the losers, if we are to allow people whose learnt English language skills, are, to say the least faulty and which may also have been learnt at the hands of other non native English speakers. It leaves a lot to be desired if we allow those non native English speakers to dictate which words are acceptable or otherwise.
My suggestion is that we improve the level of English teaching in South Africa, so that non native English speakers learn to understand the language correctly. This can best be done by prohibiting the teaching of English by non native English speakers and employing native English speakers as teachers of English.
Sorry for having carried on so long, it probably comes from having kissed the Blarney Stone as a young boy.
