Words change their meaning. That applies to words used by Christians and to words used in worship. We have to be wary.
‘Bubble’ was once a soapy globe-shaped film enclosing air or another gas. We blew bubbles. A painting of that name by Millais proved an indispensable advertising tool for Pears soap and acquired singular popularity. The word has now, as an outcome of the Covid emergency, been hi-jacked to denote a group of people who have legitimate reasons to come together.
In the days when Church of England forms of worship were thought to be the wonder of the world, rather like the Royal Navy or Pugin’s style of architecture, we English had a Book of Common Prayer. The word ‘common’ in that context meant designed for use by a whole society or group of people. It degenerated in meaning in the same way as the word ‘presently’ and came to mean distasteful or cheap, as in ‘She had a very common way of behaving in polite society.’
The word ‘commodity’ was prominent in Shakespeare’s ‘King John’. It figured in a notable speech by the Bastard, in which he berated politicians for what we would now call expediency. The word went out of circulation and has now returned with a sanitised meaning. We speak of commodity markets and we mean raw materials. The word comes from a\Latin source meaning convenient.
Once upon a time a drone was a bee that was good for nothing but to impregnate a queen. A drone was consequently an idle fellow. The word has not been honourably discharged from that duty. It has made an unexpected move and is enjoying a second career as a word for an unmanned flying vehicle.
Words get shamefully misused. ‘Epicentre’ was once a word with a specific meaning. It described the point immediately above a subterranean dislocation. It has now been degraded to become a fashionable replacement for the word ‘centre’ and is thought to be more impressive. Empathy has similarly got the better of sympathy. We can also get less than judicious about intensives. ‘Incredibly’ is a word that is being done to death in this way. Watch for words like ‘iconic’ and ‘fantastic’. These present a verbal health danger and should be avoided.
NOT JUST IN ENGLISH
If you’re from overseas and a newcomer to Manchester, Holy Trinity church, Platt will do its best to find you in a Bible in your language if you ask for one. People are welcome ‘regardless of faith or culture’ and if they are looking for opportunities to improve their English, they will be invited to a ceilidh, a firework night or a Lunar New Year event. ‘Build the base. Reach the city’ is the church slogan. Leading the ministry team is Paul Mathole, the Rector.
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