Page 51 - ParentsWorld June 2020
P. 51

nurturing 21st Century Childrenurturing 21st Century Children
                                          n
                                            fun with un with
                                            f
                                               words ords
                                               w






                                        Full of beans with


                               COLLOQUIALISM




                             colloquialism is the use of informal words or phrases
                                               in writing or speech

                                                rooPa banerJee


         A                                                couldn’t stand it no longer” are used as in regional dialect.
                  mericans eat cookies, but people in India and
                                                             In formal English, double negatives would cancel each
                  the UK eat biscuits. Americans love French
                                                          other out, but in informal speech, they add emphasis. Use
                  fries while the British prefer chips. The use of
                  informal words or phrases in writing or speech
         is known as colloquialism.                       of colloquialisms identifies Huck as a real person living
                                                          in Missouri in the pre-Civil War time period in which the
           The word colloquialism is derived from the Latin col-  entire tale is set.
         loquium, translated as speaking together. As colloquialisms   In William Shakespeare’s Othello, the villainous Lago
         are informal words within specific dialects, we need to   tells Brabantio, Desdemona’s father: “Zounds, sir, you are
         understand dialects to fully comprehend colloquialisms. A   one of those that will not serve God, if the devil bid you.”
         dialect is a variant of a language spoken by a specific group   Zounds was a common colloquialism in early modern
         of people. Dialects are often regional — people in different   English, the dialect spoken in England during Shake-
         parts of the world might speak the same language differ-  speare’s lifetime (1564-1616). It’s an informal contraction
         ently. An individual raised in the US will speak a different   of the phrase ‘Christ’s Wounds’, and was considered a
         English dialect from a native of the UK or India. Different   mild swear word in Elizabethan England.
         dialects are spoken within a country as well.       Colloquialisms usage is great for characterisation. A
           Several slang words and regional colloquialisms are ac-  person’s use of colloquialisms indicates his native region,
         cepted as part of the English dictionary. For instance over   socio-economic status or ethnic background, and is often
         900 Indian words are included in the latest Oxford English   reflective of the era in which he lives. Fans of George Ber-
         Dictionary. Words such as jugaad,dadagiri, achcha, bapu and   nard Shaw will remember the first scene of Pygmalion which
         suryanamaskar are now accepted as Indian colloquialisms   highlights Prof. Higgins’ unique capability to identify
         in the English language. Oft-used terms such as timepass,   people’s background from their speech.
         natak and chup have also made it to the OED.
           Submarine sandwiches, subs, Italian sandwiches,   ExERCISE
         heroes, and hoagies are diverse words used in different   UK colloquialism quiz
         parts of the US to refer to the same type of sandwich.   What do these phrases mean?
         Similarly pop, soda, and coke — are all soft drinks.  1. Have a butcher’s at this                2. It’s an absolute blinder!
           Colloquialism abounds in literature. Writers often use   3. Fine words butter no parsnips.       4. Me in me glad rags.
         colloquialism in dialogue or first-person narration because   5. Whit’s fur ye'll no go past ye.
         it makes characters real and defines their speech. For
         instance, in The Adventures of  Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
         uses colloquialism to give his protagonists a distinctive
         regional flavour and identity. The title character, Huck                                       5. if it’s meant to be, it’ll be.
         Finn narrates his story using colloquial language specific to                                  4. i’m in my finest clothes.  3. Fine words don’t get the job done.
         a regional dialect. He uses “allowed” as a colloquialism for                                   2. it’s amazing.
         said, and adjectives in a casual way — “it was rough living”                                   1. take a look at this.
         and “dismal regular”. The double negatives used in “I                                          Answers



         parentsworld • june 2020       54
   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54