Thread by @PeterSokolowski

My talk this morning for ESL teachers in Mexico, for MEXTESOL, is about usage. It's a topic that is rarely covered in ESL contexts.

For most of us, "usage" is about warning people: you may be judged for using a certain word a certain way--and that may distract or undermine your message.

Sometimes, "usage" is semantic--words mean slightly different things.

Some words are similar in meaning, but rarely used in the same way.

We describe usage in the dictionary.

This is not to be confused with "grammar," which is a system rather than word choice.

Let's get back to the warnings.

Some words are not appropriate in a given context.

There are two kinds of facts presented in a good dictionary entry:

1) linguistic facts (spelling, pronunciation, meaning, etymology)

2) cultural facts (or "usage"): appropriateness for context, region, time period, offensiveness, etc.

Often, when discussing "usage," we are not discussing grammar.

We are discussing taste.

Sometimes usage simply shows where etymologically similar terms have landed in different places in modern English.

Native speakers don't use these terms interchangeably:

clean/cleanse
clothes/clothing
sensual/sensuous

Sometimes usage is about distinguishing extremely similar terms.

Some of these become shibboleths for snobs and pet peeves for others.

Sometimes their differences are essentially arbitrary.

affect/effect
lay/lie
nauseated/nauseous
farther/further

Sometimes usage distinguishes terms that are semantically similar but etymologically different.

These terms are often used in very different contexts.

dead/deceased
girl/female
brotherly/fraternal
buy/purchase
clean/sanitize
belly/abdomen

Sometimes usage determines the appropriateness of a word.

It might be:

offensive
obscene
vulgar
archaic
obsolete
formal
informal
nonstandard

Sometimes usage is simply geographical.

It might need a label, like "British," "chiefly Southern," or "chiefly New England."

The dictionary is there to describe the language, to give information. We can't stick our head in the sand about changes to the language, or usages of 'like' or 'whom.'

Montaigne is my favorite philosopher.