Whats In A Word? More Than You Realize
What's in a word?Apparently more than we might want.
For others, the ability to express yourself in the most meaningful way.
I have written articles before on how bizarre the English language can be and for that matter; many languages have special challenges with interpreting meanings.
There is one word in China that I heard has about 40 different meanings, (one source said the two words have over 80 meanings) depending on usage and emphasis. That word is Wu Li.Gary Zukav (author of "The Seat of the Soul") talks about it in his book "The Dancing Wu Li Masters.
For the book "The Dancing Wu Li Masters", it means patterns of organic energy or physics.Other more popular meanings are:
My Way
Nonsense
I clutch my ideas
Enlightened
For those who study both metaphysics and quantum physics, like myself, I find it interesting that it carries physics and enlightened as meanings.
In English, we have many words that people will interchange yet have different meanings, which can further confuse the receiver of your message.
Two such words are, effective and efficient. Effective is doing the right thing, that which you set out to do. Efficiency is doing whatever you set out to do well.
You can have one without necessarily having the other. Most people understand doing the right thing but not well, yet they get caught up on understanding how you can do the wrong thing well, efficiency without effectiveness.
Imagine you are on a sailboat traveling across the Pacific when you are informed:
We have some good news and bad news. First, we have picked up a great wind and can get back on our time schedule; however, our compass broke and we haven't the slightest idea where we are.
So, they are traveling very efficiently, but not very effectively.
Even the spelling of words can cause grief and misunderstandings. I remember when I was in elementary school and the teacher would just say, sound it out. However, that doesn't always work. There is the whole issue of synonyms and homonyms, as well as the issue that we have this habit if breaking the rules in order to have more expression and growth in our language. (Growth by the way is important).
Yet, one of the most enforced rules that I had to remember in schools was:
Use i before e (from here on it gets complicated)
except after c
or when sounded as 'a' as in neighbour and weigh.
But does it stop there, noooo.
Some more exceptions that don't seem to follow any of the above are:
Counterfeit
either
foreign
forfeit
Height
seize
leisure
efficient
(and ironically or suitably) weird
Many more words can be spelling traps for people. They sound similar and many people are not sure where to put them.
Some common ones are:
Affect -a verb -to influence
Effect- a noun - a result, a verb- bring to pass
Allude -refer indirectly to
Elude - slip away
Can -ability
May- permission
Farther -physical distance
Further - abstract relationships of degree
Imply - A speaker implies
Infer - A hearer infers
Such as- examples
Like - resemblances
You can see why good communicators are in a high demand for many corporations and businesses. It is never too late to invest the time and effort into your self and master your ability to communicate on a higher level.
All the Best!
Maria Boomhower
The Master Communicator
To get a free report on Communication Mastery, go to:
http://www.falconfreedom.com
http://www.mariaboomhower.blogspot.com
P.S. If you like what you're reading in this ezine, you'll love the book, "Overcoming Barriers to Communication." It's a manual that helps you overcome the challengers that start withIntrapersonal to Interpersonal and on to Mass Communication.Overcoming Barriers to Communication
MORE RESOURCES:
 The Sun | Klingon as a First Language FunnyCrave.com For those of you in the audience that aren't totally rad, allow me to explain to you what the Klingon language is. The Klingons are an alien race from the ... Dad spoke to son in Klingon The dad who only talked to his son in Klingon Your iPhone Speaks Klingon |
 CBS News | Senate Tries To Strike Balance On Abortion Language 89.3 KPCC First, there was the Capps language, authored by Democrat Lois Capps of California, which stated that insurance companies could cover abortion but couldn't ... Harsh Immigration Provision In Senate Health Care Bill Denounced By Catholic ... Senate Wording Angers Abortion Opponents Bishops slam 'unacceptable' health care bill . |
 ABC News | Archbishop Wuerl: Change language of same-sex marriage bill to protect ... Tips-Q GLBT News (blog) In an irenic Washington Post op-ed, Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington called upon city council members to change the language in impending same-sex ... White House at odds with bishops over abortion |
USC professor creates an entire alien language for 'Avatar' Los Angeles Times Today's topic: The USC professor who found himself on an unexpected Hollywood adventure when he was hired to create the language spoken by aliens on ... |
 BBC News | Reid health bill helps chiropractors, drugmakers The Associated Press Though the precise financial impact is unclear, the language would help steer more patients to a profession whose participation in many federal programs is ... degette prefers abortion language in Senate health-reform bill Pelosi Gives High Praise To Senate Abortion Language Sen. Johanns Calls Reid's Abortion Language a "Bookkeeping Gimmick" |
 CBC.ca | PQ set to take language fight to daycares National Post MONTREAL -- Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois has seen the enemy, and he is crawling on all fours, babbling out his first words in a language other than ... Law 101 should be applied to daycares: PQ PQ wants language law applied in daycares News digest |
(RATINGS: The movies listed below are rated according to the following key: 4 ... Baltimore Sun PG-13 (intense disaster sequences and some language). 2:38. 3 stars. -- MP AMELIA. This Amelia Earhart biopic isn't a bad movie, but it's distressingly ... |
 PhysOrg.com | Univision brings Spanish-language programming to YouTube USA Today Spanish language broadcast network Univision has cut a deal with YouTube to bring its programming to the online video network. Both short-form and long-form ... YouTube/Univision deal a huge resource for teachers YouTube Inks Deal With Univision (But Skips the Telenovelas) UPDATE 1-YouTube gets Hispanic shows in Univision deal |
Georgia's Pre-K Program introduces Mandarin language WALB-TV The ground-breaking program will provide daily instruction in the Mandarin language and expose children to Chinese culture. ... |
Get to know Lindsey and the Vonntourage ESPN The group's official language is German, the first language of Vonn's two trainers, Oliver Saringer and Martin Hager, plus her ski man, Heinz Heammerle. ... |
Chinese Pinyin or Hanyu Pinyin Overview
Chinese Pinyin is the romanization of the Chinese "written sound". Romanization approximates Mandarin pronunciation with Western spellings and includes a tone mark to signify the pitch of a word.
Learn Korean: Part 2 - Social Status in Culture
Part 1 of this series covered the language and language families in general for the Asian languages. Part 2 will cover the social conduct that is seen throughout Asian countries.
Teaching English in Greece - What Do You Need to Know?
The employment situation can be quite uncertain for newcomers to Greece and therefore many people choose to try teaching English as a foreign language, on a full or part-time basis. It can bring in a good income whether it is your preferred career choice, or you wish to do it short-term until another career choice pans out.
Learning a Foreign Language: Why Should you Learn Words You Never Use in Your Mother Tongue?
Imagine a child sitting in front of a desk, his head in his hands, and mumbling various lists of words over and over. Does this child remind you of your own experience? If yes, I bet that "list of words" does not sound appealing to you.
English Language Sputtering Online Like an Old Ford!
Sad, but true. Just about everywhere you look online, the English language is suffering a fate worse than death.
Mexican Living: Todays Obsession
I would like to talk about one of my many obsessions: learning Spanish. I have been thinking about this lately mostly because I am under the impression that, though I've lived in Mexico for two years, my Spanish sucks in a major way.
Learn Italian for Free
Italian is one of the most widespread languages in the world, and speaking it can give you a tremendous sense of accomplishment, an edge in your career, and even a stronger bond with your ancestors if you are of Italian descent. There are many ways you can learn Italian, including textbooks, tapes, CDs, software, group classes or private lessons, but there are also ways you can begin or continue your studies of the Italian language entirely for FREE!1.
Learn to Speak Basic Chinese (Mandarin) Words and Phrases
The Chinese Language and dialectsEach province, each city and even each village speaks their own dialect. There are hundreds of Chinese dialects in China so much so that each dialect speaker is not likely to understand another dialect speaker from another village or city.
Speaking Spanish To Increase Mind Power
Our "mind power" is largely in the way we use our words, and limited by our vocabulary. Words, and the concepts they express, are different in each language, and there are differing common expressions.
7 Words Americans Should Stop Using Until Further Investigation
Relationship: Here is a word that is used to qualify, justify and honey coat just about every nefarious, sleazy or reprehensible union between almost anybody and anything. Recently on an edition of the Jerry Springer show a guest was about to be interviewed who was getting it on with a very close relative.
Whats In A Word? More Than You Realize
What's in a word?Apparently more than we might want.For others, the ability to express yourself in the most meaningful way.
Learning French in Paris
Nothing can be more frustrating than to be in France and not been able to speak their language. For, I remember the days when I was among people chanting around in a language totally alien to me, and me, trying to bring a smile in my face while shaking my head from north to south doing as if I am getting everything what they are speaking about, and waiting impatiently for my French wife to do the translation - and I can't deny, that that was not the most comfortable period of my life.
Aphasia: The Cruelest Language Barrier
Imagine the following scenario: You wake up one morning and instead of speaking English, everyone around you--including your family and friends--is speaking Hungarian. This is a problem because you don't speak Hungarian and you don't have a clue what they're saying.
Uncommon Facts / Rules of English Language
English is an international language. It has so many grammar rules and each rule with many exceptions.
Learn Italian in Italy
You can combine your love of the Italian language with an unforgettable experience in the country where the language is spoken by studying Italian in Italy! Hands-down, the best way to learn a foreign language is to live, work, or study in a native speaking environment. Studying Italian in Italy is the best possible experience you can have to learn the language.
Japanese Kanji Learning: Short-Cuts to Rapid Mastery (Part 2)
In Japanese Kanji Learning: Short-Cuts to Rapid Mastery Part 1, we looked at mnemonic methods devised by James Heisig and Kenneth Henshall to speed-up kanji acquisition. We saw how their techniques activate the imagination by assigning different meanings individual elements of each kanji.
Teaching English in Mexico: A Decent Living?
What's more disappointing than a person who makes a promise he can't keep? A person who makes a promise that is a lie. Many promises to make a "decent living" teaching English in Mexico are just that-a lie.
Can You Understand English?
There is a lot of talk about making English the official language of the USA. That would stop the need to spend so much money printing out things like drivers license, tax, voter registration and other official forms in so many languages.
GROUSE ... GROUSE ... GROUSE!!!
I realize that we here in the United States consider ourselves at the top rung of the educational ladder, if only for the fact that so many foreign language students are breaking their necks to come here to both study and live English.But, on second glance, we should not deceive ourselves.
Learning a Foreign Language: the Ventriloquists Lesson
The main feature you have to master, in order to call yourself a ventriloquist, is to speak without moving your lips. It is not that difficult.
