“Tell me about yourself and I’ll tell you who you are.” Or rather, what society you live in, what world you belong to. This is somehow the answer that Julie Nevo gives in her book I speak as I am (Grassett). Language is above all social, cultural, it allows you to identify the group to which you belong. behind ready phrases like “selfie” or “no worries” more complex intentions or ideas are conveyed. Here’s a little insight into what our verbal habits are hiding…
● Suddenly
In the world of linguistics, “hit” is like an earthquake. It has managed to impose itself on all generations in the face of its many equivalents: “in the end”, “finally”, “therefore”, “therefore”, “therefore”… The hit is one of the most ambiguous; French language. From “punch” to “roll the dice” to “sunburn,” its uses are (almost) endless. However, in every expression, the word “coup” reveals a kind of cruelty, violence. Therefore, to use the expression “du coup” means to be “influential”, to introduce dynamics.
● Mode
“In survival mode”, “in rest mode”… This phrase is everywhere in the language of young people, to the point of becoming unbearable. But where does this scary tic come from? In fact, to say “en mode” is to unconsciously realize the analogy between man and machine. We literally say of our washing machine, computer or GPS that it is in “standby mode, on mode…”. The problem then comes from the loss of awareness of the metaphorical side of the expression, which reveals the fascination of the new generations for cars rather than their friends…
● Hashtag
Materialized by the keyboard hash key (#), the hashtag has gone viral with Twitter success. The English word “hashtag” is a contraction. “Hash” comes from the French word “hacher” (to cut with an axe) and is a shorthand for “hash mark”, a type of patch worn by soldiers whose number of hatches indicates how many years they have served the nation. combat and from which the shape of the hashtag is inspired. “Tag” is used in modern English as a means of identification (for example, a cow wears a “hear tag” in its ear). Therefore, the “hashtag” is the identification with the axe, in other words, rough casting.
● Selfies
“Shall we take a selfie?” This intolerable practice has won tourists of all generations. The inventor of this digital self-portrait technique is none other than a young Australian who coined this neologism during a drunken night out in 2002. “Self” actually means “me” in English and the suffix “ie” is used at the end of common nouns to indicate a cute appearance. Literally, a selfie is “love me”. Suspicious. It should be noted that our Quebec neighbors are talking about selfies.
● Living together
In 2016, Robert’s dictionary’s “sacred word of the year”, the noun phrase “living together” embodies the republican project since Ernest Renan and his answer to the question “What is a nation?” – “The fact of living together”. Often controversial, it is nevertheless rich in learning. Beyond a grammatical error, “living together” embodies failure. using the first name means that living together does not apply. It becomes a concept and not a practice.
● Don’t worry
“Anxiety” at the time of its appearance in the 14th century describes deep concern, anxiety. It was later euphemized to become a mere synonym for “problem”. Despite everything, he maintains an emotional side that his partner does not convey. A society that prefers “no problem” to “no worries” therefore actually betrays the presence of many flammable objects.
● Burn
Very fashionable English, “burnout” translates to an advanced state of depression. Each of the terms in this phrase is interesting. In English, the suffix “out” indicates the end of a process, while the verb “burn” is the translation of burning. When psychoanalyst Freudenberger introduced it in 1974, he explained: the idea is to move from a geological metaphor (depression) to an ecological metaphor. Man is considered a victim of a complete combustion ecosystem. its resources are exhausted.
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Source: Le Figaro
