by Emily Cathcart

Though we tend to take its permanence for granted, language is a perpetual work in progress. In cyclically defining the spirit of an age and capturing the mood of a generation, language expertly adapts and reinvents itself to reflect the inevitable shift of prevailing attitudes over time.

While some words have gently altered their meanings as centuries pass, others mutate until their polarities swing from positive to negative. Where in days gone by you’d be pleased as Punch to be called egregious—from the Latin egregius meaning ‘distinguished’ or ‘eminent’—in modern usage, it’s rarely complimentary. Pleased as Punch is a bit ambiguous in and of itself: this lighthearted phrase derives from traditional ‘Punch and Judy’ children’s puppet shows, evoking villainous Punch’s sense of delight as he engages in some pretty egregious behaviour. 

Then there are the words that may have been considered acceptable in an earlier era, but have now been condemned and consigned to obsolescence. For not only do changing times equal changing meanings, they also demand a continual rethink of what’s appropriate; as sentiment transforms, by necessity so do vocabularies. However repugnant we find them today, the fact remains that these outmoded, wrongheaded forms of expression were once the norm, even in ‘polite’ discourse—but linguistic hindsight and the difficult lessons of the past can inform the present, and improve the future. 

So what happens when previously commonplace terminology makes the journey across the acceptability spectrum from unremarkable to flat-out offensive? And what are the finer points to getting it right when keeping up with the rapid pace of change?

Understanding begins with acknowledging that every culture and group has a well-defined lexicon used to express their own identity; and if you happen to be an outsider, it's particularly crucial to ensure that awareness of what's respectful is always top of mind. When writing, this can be as simple as capitalising descriptors like ‘Black’ and internalising the considerable amount of thought that goes into best practice in that area.

This isn’t about paying lip service to high-minded ideals or satisfying a rigid definition of political correctness (a discussion on the demonisation of which being another topic that deserves a separate article). Rather, it’s about using the power of words to treat others in a way that’s instinctively fair and rigorously inclusive, gaining a deeper appreciation of how communities describe themselves—and finding out what works for them.

Ignorance is no defence: when we’re not native speakers in the language of awareness, it’s up to each of us to recognise the gaps in our knowledge, take individual responsibility and make the effort to become fluent—even as the nature of that fluency changes constantly.

As vital as it is to educate ourselves—and learn how best to say what needs to be said with sensitivity—it’s critical that we grasp the importance of stopping and thinking about what lies behind the words we use in the first place. What ultimately matters is not how they sound to our own ears; but how they are heard by those they affect most.

Find out more about the ways in which ALHAUS uses words to craft powerful stories.