Such an Interesting Language We Have

The other day I was watching a cable news show and the host commented about the fulsome nature of the story he was reporting on.  Now I am far from an expert on the English language however, to me fulsome has always meant excessive, overdone, or insincere.  Nonetheless, I have had a ton of respect for this host and decided to verify the meaning and learned that over time, like many words in the English language the meaning of the word fulsome has changed making its usage tricky.

Some people avoid the word because of its duality.  And in formal writing, it’s suggested that the writer pick a clearer synonym depending on his or her intent.  For example, if you mean overdone or excessive, try using words like cloying, overblown, or insincere –  “The senator’s fulsome praise of the lobbyists made the audience uncomfortable.”  But if the intent is to refer to something as abundant or generous we might use lavish, comprehensive, or wholehearted.  “She offered a fulsome apology for her mistake, leaving no doubt about her sincerity.”

There are two takeaways here, the first is that context is key, and if we want to avoid ambiguity, it’s safer to choose a more precise synonym.  The second is, in legal, academic, and journalistic writing, “fulsome” is often used in the abundant/comprehensive sense.  However, in literature, older texts, or more conservative usage, “fulsome” is often used as meaning insincere and excessive.

And for those who read last week’s blog post, you might recall how I was ‘racking my brain’ while engaged in mental dominos.  BTW, the phrase “racking one’s brain” comes from the old-world word rack (like the medieval torture device), which stretched and strained the body.  So, when we “rack our brains,” we’re figuratively putting our brains on the rack—straining it, stretching it—while trying to recall or figure something out.

But back to the point at hand, I soon began thinking about other words with opposite meanings, i.e., contranyms, words that can mean its own opposite depending on context.  And the first word that came to mind was “Sanction.”   Sanction can mean approval or authorization in a positive sense; for example, the university sanctioned the new research program, meaning it approved and or gave permission.

But sanction can also mean a penalty or punishment – A coercive measure against a person, group, or country.  For example, the Trump administration has imposed sanctions on Iran, meaning penalties or restrictions.  So, something is “sanctioned” because it’s officially permitted, or something is “sanctioned” because it’s officially penalized.

Most contranyms come from words that evolved along different paths (often from Old English, Latin, or French), with one path preserving a positive sense and another a negative or opposite one, and context is usually the only clue.  Below I’ve listed some of the more common contranyms in the English language

• Sanction – To approve / authorize → The board sanctioned the project. To penalize / punish → The U.S. sanctioned the company for violations.
• Cleave – To split apart → He cleaved the log with an axe. Or, To cling / hold together → She cleaved to her beliefs.
• Oversight – Watchful supervision → The committee has oversight of the budget. Or Error from inattention → The mistake was due to an oversight.
• Dust – To remove dust from → She dusted the shelves. Or, To add fine particles to → The baker dusted the cake with sugar.
• Left – Remaining → Only two pieces are left. Or, Departed → He left the party early.
• Clip – To attach → She clipped the papers together. Or, To cut off → He clipped the coupon  from the newspaper.
• Weather -To withstand / endure → The building weathered the storm. Or, To erode / wear away → The rocks were weathered by centuries of rain.
• Fast – Immovable / fixed → The boat was held fast. Or, Moving quickly → The car drove fast.
• Seed – To plant seeds → He seeded the field with rye. Or, To remove seeds → She seeded the watermelon before serving.
• Trim – To decorate / add to → The tree was trimmed with ornaments. Or, To cut away / reduce → He trimmed his beard.

Ah yes, we do have a most interesting language.

Quote of the day – “English is an interesting language; which is why we park our car on the driveway and drive our car on the parkway.” — Anonymous