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Thursday, 01 October 2009
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Proposition
I have a proposition for the United States of America. I think the Southern word "y'all" should be taken up as the universal plural of the word "you." I have four defenses for my choice of the word "y'all," as opposed to the word "y'uns," or even the archaic term "ye."
1. English lacks a distinctive second person plural. As of now, the second person singular is "you" and the second person plural is also "you." Really, only the country people thought to make a second person plural. You'll find variations throughout the United States, the most popular ones being y'all and y'uns. Although context may explain whether "you" is singular or plural, this is not always the case. The singular and plural use of "you" seems to cause enough confusion that people find the need to further clarify a plural "you" by adding "all" to it, or skipping the "you" altogether in favor of a word such as "everyone." In essence, this addition of the word "all" to "you" is what happened in the South-- you all, which was later contracted to y'all. Adding "y'all" to the English vocabulary would give Americans an easily distinguishable second person plural.
2. Translations from many other languages would be easier to understand. Many languages have a distinct second person plural. Transferring their term to "y'all" would be more specific than the current transference to "you." Take, for instance, an ambassador who visits some important person in another country. The VIP says something and the interpretor relays the message, "You are an affront to this country." "Me?" asks the ambassador. "No, your country, all of you," replies the interpretor. The situation would have been a bit clearer if the interpretor had a clear second person plural to use. Another use could be in the translation of ancient texts. To use an example from the Bible, consider 1 Cor. 3:16, which says, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" The "you" in this verse is plural, referring to the body of believers as a group, rather than an individual. Conversely, 1 Cor. 6:19 says, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" The "you" in that verse is singular, referring to the individual, rather than the group of believers. The point of each of these passages is, to use an expression, "lost in translation."
3. The word "y'all" is a legitimate contraction. A contraction is a grammatical system for the shortening of words by substituting an apostrophe in lieu of dropped letters, most often vowels.* In the case of the word "y'uns," the phrase "you ones" has been pulled together into one expression. The reason I do not consider it a legitimate contraction is because the word "ones" changes in spelling during the course of its transition into one word. Legitimate contractions do not change the word.** The word "y'all" contracts from the phrase "you all," dropping the "ou" and replacing it with an apostrophe.
4. The word "y'all" is a newer and more familiar term than the archaic term "ye." While I would consider the word "ye" a more dignified substitute for "you," I do not think it is well-known enough in America. "Y'all," despite its less lofty reputation, is known by most Americans. I've heard more people make fun of me for using the term "y'all" than I have ever heard of them teasing me for using "ye." I think that this basic knowledge makes a good base for transforming "y'all" into an official term in the English language.
I confess that the path to transforming "y'all" to a common and acceptable term will be difficult, but I believe we have a worthwhile cause. That being said, y'all should spread the word.
* Contractions should not be mistaken with possessives, which do not substitute an apostrophe for any letters.
** For this reason, I do not consider "ain't" a legitimate contraction, either.
Sunday, 20 September 2009
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Sore
Well, we played football yesterday. Mike did something to his right-hand ring finger, and I twisted my knee. Mike's entire hand is swelling, and his finger is all bruised up. He's had a rough time with it, so far. Before you scoff, think about it. You'd be surprised at how many things you do with your hands, and how painful spraining a finger can be. Take, for example, shaking hands.
In our line of "business," shaking hands is very important. When a person looks at you, that's his first impression. The next step is to shake hands. People always take a handshake as part of their first impression. A firm handshake does not necessarily cause a good impression. If you crush their fingers, or if the person is arthritic, a firm handshake will hurt them. And pain as a first impression is never good. Neither, for that matter, is wincing when they shake hands with you. You see the problem.
By the way, in case you were wondering, here's a tip for shaking hands: default to something mostly firm and confident, but change your handshake according to how the other person shakes hands with you. If they shake hands softly, shake their hand softly. If they shake hands firmly, shake hands firmly. That causes the best impression. But I digress.
As for my knee, I've been rubbing IcyHot on it, and keeping it a little rested. It feels unsteady, but the pain is completely manageable. As long as it doesn't bend sideways at all, I feel fine.
And today, we revisited a church. They were very nice, and glad to see us again. I wore my Poblano poncho, and several people asked if it was Chilean. This afternoon, we stopped at the Johnny Appleseed festival in Lisbon, OH. It's pretty small . . . but they had some really good Italian ice.
So that's my update. With my two cents worth about shaking hands. Blessings!
Monday, 14 September 2009
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What a Grump
I had woken up in a terrible mood. I felt a burning anger, at nothing, at everything . . . for no reason at all. Now that I think of it, I might have been temporarily demented. As I stomped into the kitchen my eyes caught sight of the tall pile of dishes waiting to be washed. They offended me. They were an affront to my very existence. Angered, I snatched up my gloves and started furiously scrubbing the dishes.Mike was making apple crisp. He approached me, saying, “My crisp isn’t crispy. What should I do?”“Don’t know. Don’t care.” I hardly even gave it a glance. I grabbed up another dish and scratched the sponge over it. Taken aback, Mike turned away and finished his apple crisp alone. A little farther into my dish-washing rampage, I heard the coffee maker going.“Do you want milk or sugar?” asked Mike.“I don’t care,” I snarled, and threw a dish into the dish rack. The pile of dishes dwindled to just a few dishes that needed soaking. I ran hot water over them and left them to soak. Wordlessly, Mike gave me a cup of steaming coffee. I tasted it. Coffee, milk, no sugar-- exactly the way I like it. I still felt inexplicably angry, so I retreated to the living room to read my Bible. Now, for the sake of honesty, I must confess that I tend to use my Bible as a fire extinguisher. I use it as a solution to emergencies, rather than using it every day before problems arise.A phrase repeated itself several times in my reading that day. “It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to God.”I felt ashamed, then. I’m supposed to be a living sacrifice for God, but I’m burning myself up before I even get to the altar.“It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to God.”The Old Testament sacrifices were fulfilled in Christ’s sacrifice at the cross. They now serve as a gruesome reminder of the terrible consequences of our sin, and awful price of our salvation. To deny the sacrifice of Christ is a grave mistake. And to not appreciate the sacrifice of Christ, to live as if I did not deserve His suffering instead . . . that is a grave mistake as well.A burnt offering was offered whole, the entirety of the animal consumed by the flames. A living sacrifice is made whole, not in order to be consumed in flames, but in order that its life may be consumed wholly by a desire to serve God. I hope to be a pleasing aroma to God and to those around me. Forgive me, Lord, when I am not.
Friday, 04 September 2009
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Critics
Note: Before you read this, be warned that my self-esteem isn't at its highest today. The melancholy artist in me isn't looking for encouraging remarks. I just wanted to share, because that's the compulsion of every artist: the compulsion to put the inner thoughts to light.I've decided that I would not make a good critic. I'm quite particular about what books, movies, and art I like. I cannot, however, forget that what I like is almost always very different from what everybody else likes. It frightens me to think that I would say that I like a book and someone might say, "That book was horrible! I don't respect you as a writer or as a person anymore because you like that book." I know it sounds ridiculous, but I couldn't handle it. Maybe this is also why I hesitate to publish a book. I know there will be many people who hate it. I couldn't handle it.Rant: And anyway, why would anyone want to give a movie, or book, or piece of art a grade? I mean, what's your grading scale? And you may not like the writing, but I found it refreshing. What if my writing is bad, too? If I like bad writing, does that mean I write badly, too?I am my own worst critic.My goodness . . . I'm being nutty. True feelings, but all screwed up. LOL! I'm going to go have a nice cup of tea and write for a while. It'll be wonderful.
Thursday, 27 August 2009
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Updates and Plans
Well, summer will be coming to a close in about a month or so. I turned 24 this month, which means I'm almost a quarter of a century old. In a year, I'll be able to hold up a quarter when people ask me how old I am.
Yay. Too bad I'll be in Chile and no one will get the joke. Ah, well. Such is life.Mike and I have both been battling allergies. Mike, although he has never been tested for allergies, has been utterly miserable while the mold spore and ragweed pollen count is high. Poor man. He's been taking Benadryl, which keeps him in zombie state most of the day. And me? Just sneezyness, if that's a word.We've decided to send out a support letter to churches around Ohio. We've spent the last couple of days finding addresses and typing them up. Now I just need to design a letter and we'll print it off. Any ideas on what would look nice on a support letter?September is coming up. We're planning to visit some dear friends in Indiana. I've known them as long as I've known Mike, and it'll be a joy to meet with them.October? Who knows what October will hold.November is a month that I dread when I look at it. Well, that's not entirely true. November will be full of wonderful things. It's just so packed full of stuff that I don't know how everything will get done. I'm remembering a piece I wrote once, comparing the times ahead of me to a giant wave that I needed to dive into. I think the time is approaching, once again, to hold my breath and dive in. Rachel, your lessons still stick with me. A new niece, visits to family, visits to churches, getting rid of stuff, living out of a suitcase, National Missionary Convention, Thanksgiving . . .And December, of course, is when we're hoping to move. December 7th. Please pray that we meet our deadline.So that's my very rough schedule for the months ahead. Prayers and encouragement will be appreciated. I love all you readers. You remind me that in this age of virtual living and virtual friendships, I still have friends who truly care. May God bless you all.
MK_culture_shock
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- Name: Mrs. Kitty
- Gender: Female
- Member Since: 7/9/2004
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Deep or not, it's me you've got, so come and see the freak in me. Poet, author, playwrite, star... missed the normal point by far. Dare you come? Adventuresome? Come explore infinity, in the mystic depths... of me.
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