It’s not often I can let my back hair down, relax and address those faithful readers which keep me writing. Without their support I would have long ago went back to my efforts of orchestrating a feline choir and my job of trying to help people with their reptile issues as the “Lizard Whisperer.” Boy, did some people get the totally wrong impression from that one and the “Herpetology Whisperer” title I switched to in an effort to remedy the situation just made it a lot worse. Thus, it is nice to know one of my endeavors is turning out okay, and by “okay” I mean I’m not getting endless phone calls from middle aged businessmen anymore.
At any rate, I wish to say thank you to everyone who faithfully reads my blog (yes, there are a couple of them smartass) and give a little something back by addressing a request I had in response to my “On My Philosophical Reflection Concerning ‘I’m Just Sayin” post. One of my good pals “Ghostgirl” requested I dip into the deteriorating soft tissue of my brain and comment on something near and dear to her heart, the terms “irregardless” and “all of a sudden.” Without further ado, lest I adont (okay not all jokes can be winners) here is another attempt to parody some philosophical writing as I try and examine a couple of these common terms:
On The Proper Use and Relationship of Linguistical Predicates
Part II: Irregardless
There is great freedom in the human dialect, which one outside philosophical reflection might not consider or realize. Indeed, it seems when concerning the study of language and composition of the written word, many rules are supposed that need to be followed, from spelling to sentence structure. All these codes have been dictated over decades by professors, linguists and philosophers alike inside their classrooms and thus, without real world application, the important part of human speech has been looked over. That is, the idea or ideal itself which is trying to be conveyed in conversation or upon any piece of parchment. The great wit Mark Twain once said, “I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.”
This is not to say such rules don’t serve any purpose, for this certainly isn’t the case. A way to formulate thought into speech or writ is an important skill to have and necessary in order for one convey an idea in the most efficient way possible. However, such rules can be a hindrance to some and an overabundance of focus may be placed on them by those who ponder over word structure, opting to ignore the message being conveyed and call the sharer of ideas or information out on their error, belittling and detracting from the scope of focus. In the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, Book 1:10, He states one should not “leap on mistakes, or captiously interrupt when anyone makes an error of vocabulary, syntax, or pronunciation, but neatly to introduce the correct form of an particular expression by way of answer, confirmation, or discussion of the matter itself rather than its phrasing-or by some other felicitous prompting.”
Even in Aurelius’s time the structure of language was an important thing, and a case could even be made it was more important, but he understood it should not overshadow the actual message behind any verbal or written discourse, but rather the message should be the main topic of focus, with grammatical theory being subservient to it and not the other way around. Indeed, while some correct with good intentions, we can readily see others correct for reasons which are pompous and independent of any concern to enlighten those who might be mistaken in word usage. This is the consequence for studying such theories in classrooms and lecture halls without applying them to real world application.
Lastly, one must remember language not only serves as an expression of ideas, but also as an aesthetical expression as well. Under close examination, we can see language tends to have an almost musical quality and indeed incorporates many of the same devices that are included within a musical score. Motif, theme, rhythm and crescendo are all represented, with the words themselves taking on the likeness of musical notes. So, it is only natural for one to organize their words in a way which is pleasing to them and conform them to fit better within a written or spoken body. In fact, it could be said this element could never be completely nullified, because speech formulates within the mind of the artificer of the thought.
In the word, “irregardless” we can see these aesthetical freedoms taken when one cites, records or speaks the word. It is not paradoxical to the degree that it becomes indecipherable, in fact quite the opposite. The paradoxical nature lies not in its meaning, but in the organization of the letters and the predicates which form the inherent construction of the word. To understand this fully we need to dissect it completely into three main parts:
First, “ir” is a prefix which means, “not, or opposite of.”
Second, “regard” means, “to take something into account or consider.”
Lastly, “less” means, “something inferior or not as important.”
From this enumeration of it’s various parts we can see by the prefix, “ir” and the connexion with “less” that it is tautological in nature and thus the “ir,” within scholarly circles adds nothing to the word, and it is a useless predicate. Yet, does this mean one could not opt to say it in conversation? Within the lecture halls it may be considered unacceptable, but this presupposes there isn’t some context where one might find it more appropriate. In fact, “ir” might play a bigger role than some linguistical scholars even realize.
First, one should not completely discount any aesthetical value concerning the elements, for the purposes of the prefix may provide emphasis to a degree by comparing similarities or differences of other words, but this is merely a hypothetical and such justifications are dependant upon medium and thus to judge on such a supposition hardly seems logical. Second, we go back to emphasis again, in that by determining the word unusable, one is presupposing “ir” and “less” negate each other and eliminate the words meaning and/or power. Yet, it does not offer us the possibility the two elements actually build upon one another adding to the value of the word in terms of emphasis. What exactly would it emphasize? Mainly, such emphasis would be to build on the definition of being “heedless” and advance it forward to introduce a higher degree of contempt towards the object upon which it refers.
Thus, I feel an individual, while in a proper medium, has the freedom to offer the word in any discourse and this will add and extra level of contempt and emotional disconnect which just “regardless” may not offer, though admittedly it would be based on relative terms. One must use discernment, however, to determine when it is appropriate, but I have reached the conclusion that it is not a negation of meaning, but rather a furthering of meaning, so it may very well have a place in creative or philosophical writ and conversation.
Part III: “All of a Sudden”
Unlike the previous, “All of a sudden” requires no extreme dissection, for its meaning and use are apparent. One may conceive of what it means in the context of which it is offered, but the phrase contains a little more wisdom than any hearer of the statement may allow himself to fully comprehend. One will see the term, “all” and “sudden” and determine some event was introduced into a circumstance very rapidly. “All” refers to the introduced situation and not the, what we will call the “precircumstance.”
It may serve us well from here to replace “all” and “sudden” that it may come more into focus. Instead of “all” let us say “circumstance,” and instead of “sudden,” let us say “moment.” Then, “all of a sudden” reads: “circumstance of a moment.” “Moment” is used to show the hurried nature of the circumstance and we see with the use of the word “of” that this circumstance is subservient to this brief “moment.” Meaning, that it is an inseparable element of the circumstance, for it is part of the phrases inherent nature.
So we can conclude by this illustration that there are two main parts to “all of a sudden:”
1.) An expeditious shift of circumstance, usually driven by forces outside the self.
2.) A shift in focus from one object or situation unto another.
Again, thank you all for reading!
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