by Miko Johnston
Words fascinate me. I think about them constantly, their surface meaning and their subdural meaning. The subtle differences in synonyms when attempting to find the best word in a situation. The unusual pairing of words to create fresh and unique imagery. Formulating a sentence that will dazzle the reader, but not distract them.
We who write in English have an amazing array of words to use. According to a linguist I know, our language stems from our Anglo-Saxon heritage, with words deriving from both cultures. It provides us with an abundance of synonyms.
I became interested in words early on, which is why I wanted to be a poet and have read much poetry. One of my all-time favorites is Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Bells”, a master course in the use of repetition and word sounds to create different moods. It’s where I learned about onomatopoeia – words that sound like their sound. Poe’s bells tinkled in merriment, rhymed and chimed in happiness, clanged in alarm, and tolled in sorrow.
Before I could read I would hear words and “picture” them by their sound. I would think I knew what they meant, but not always – some didn’t translate into their actual meaning.
Growing up in New York, I ate a lot of delicatessen meats like pastrami, corned beef and tongue. As a child, I assumed the last item to be a homonym of the organ found inside mouths. It took until my late teens to make the connection – the delicacy I’d enjoyed for years was actually…a tongue. Had I not already loved it I would have been grossed out!
I’ve since learned tongue is an autological word – it describes what it is, or expresses a property it also possesses. Examples of autology include unhyphenated, word, and pentasyllabic (a five-syllable word that means a five-syllable word).
Onomatopoeia words sound like they sound. Autological words mean what they mean. However I’m more curious by other categories of words, which have no name that I’m aware of, the first being words that sound like what they mean.
Take alluring. When it’s said out loud it rolls gently off the tongue. You can almost hear the trilling of the R, the sensuousness of the word. I find tranquil to have a soothing sound. To me, idiot sounds ‘fast’ while moron sounds ‘slow’, which is why I ascribe each term to different, um, problematic drivers. I also think stress, beginning with its three hard consonants and ending in the shrillness of double S, sounds, well, stressful. And come to think of it, shrill sounds…shrill. I wonder – do these words sound like their meaning because we know their meaning, or would they sound that way to someone unfamiliar with the word? What would you call words that sound like what they mean?
Then there are words that sound nothing like their meaning. Who came up with pulchritude to describe pleasing beauty? Is gorgeous, with its hard opening G and harsh final syllable, much better? Does relax inspire calmness? One of my favorite and most pleasant sense memories is the smell of summer rain hitting a hot, dry pavement. There’s a word for it – petrichor. Does that sound pleasing? Not to me. Shouldn’t words like these have a name as well?
You can probably come up with other examples of words that sound, or don’t sound, like what they mean, and please do. You might know of a word that describes these types of words, or suggest one of your own. All I know for certain is that my fascination with words and language led me to become a writer.
Miko Johnston, a founding member of The Writers in Residence, is the author of the historical fiction series, “A Petal in the Wind”, as well as a contributor to several anthologies including the recently released “Whidbey Landmarks”. Miko lives in Washington (the big one) with her rocket scientist husband. Contact her at mikojohnstonauthor@gmail.com
The Writers in Residence 
Hi Miko. I am constantly fascinated by our group of writers and the depth of experiences shared between us.. Thank you for such a wonderful piece on words, and for letting us into your world both growing up and today. It never occurred to me to actually enjoy speaking a word slowly and getting the resonance right, as if it were a choice morsel, and certainly it is fun to ‘taste’ a favorite one.
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Jill, the happenstance of my post following yours was pure serendipity.
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After reading your post, I wondered what the same word would be in French. I translated “alluring” and it came out “seduisante.” Okay, not as beautiful sounding. Then I tried “pulchritude.” It came out “beaute” (with an accent over the e). Lastly, I typed in “idiot” and it was “idiote” in French. Okay. Some things stay the same in many languages. I got a laugh out of that. But our English language has blended sound with feelings in some words. Whether it is usage or the sound, words do have a way with our emotions. Great post.
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I got a laugh out of that, too, Gayle. The richness of the English language gives writers so many ways to say the same thing, which is why my thesaurus is as thick as my dictionary.
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How fun that you study words and how they sound, Miko–and why. I love words too but I’m seldom so scientific. Thanks for the enjoyable post!
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My books have no imposed deadlines other than my own, which gives me the luxury of time to consider the words I use in my writing.
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Thought provoking post, Miko! Words are sooo important, and recently it seems like some word meanings to the “populace” are or have changed from eons ago when I was growing up…mostly expanding to mean more than they used to…struggling for an example, but my mind is fogging over right now… Thanks.
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I agree, and that knowledge, or lack of it, can shackle a writer who wants to be honest without being insulting.
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I’ve always loved words, and enjoy learning new ones. But I was told not to use “big words” in my writing, as it put off readers. Do you think that’s true? I did sneak “specious” into my last book! I once wrote a blog post on the subject of big words in writing. I’ll have to dig it out.
I was surprised when I first encountered pulchritude and learned it meant beauty. Sounds more like a religious concept.
Thanks for another wonderful post, Miko.
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I laughed when I read your interpretation of pulchritude, as I thought the same thing the first time I encountered the word. As for “big words”, a topic of its own (hmmmm….)
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What a wonderful post Miko! I’m with Jill on our group of writers – I always learn something new or my eyes are opened to thinking about a topic in a different way. I’m also intrigued with how our language is evolving all the time although I’m not sure I’m totally on board with some of the new words that have been elevated into the Merriam Webster dictionary. ‘Vacay’ meaning vacation or ‘Adorbs’ – for adorable. I look upon such truncated words as a load of tommyrot.
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I consider it part of my “job” as a writer to stay up-to-date with new and, shall we say, revised words. However, when writing historical fiction, I have the opposite problem, avoiding anachronisms – words or terms that were not in use at the time.
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What a fascinating study you’ve made, Miko. As a fellow word-lover, it’s wonderful to read how delicious words can sound, too! And just how impactful our choices can be. Your study is most impressive! Thanks. (Sorry this is so late, but I was traveling back from England.)
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Thanks, Rosemary, and welcome home!
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