Tag: Language
-
A Hymn To Him?
Yet again, the use of the English language is on my mind. On this occasion, it is because of a perceived inclusivity deficiency in the Church of England. A group of clergy wishes to introduce gender-neutral hymns and prayers. God, they argue, is neither male nor female, so it is, therefore, not appropriate to use…
-
We Are All Hypocrites
Last weekend, I enjoyed the book, Confessions, the autobiography of the broadcaster and journalist, Edward Stourton. You may recall my mentioning him with regard to accents a couple of months ago. Amid all of the tales of his early years spent in various British colonies on the cusp of independence, his prep school (the now…
-
The Game of the Name
Do our names say anything about us? Or do they reveal more about our parents? Do parents consider the consequences of the names they bestow on their progeny? The easy answer to the former question is I don’t know. The answer to the latter is probably not. Consider the names that celebrities choose, such as…
-
No Mates
What’s in a word? Can an attempt to be friendly, or to describe someone, truly offend, or do them harm? I don’t mean pejorative terms, but ordinary, everyday language, where no malice is intended. The reason I ask, is that material has been leaked to the Guido Fawkes website, pertaining to a presentation given one…
Caeci Visum 