There are words that once were reserved for someone or something special that now have taken on a new personality. For instance, look at the word "integrity." In the olden days, when someone heard the word "integrity," it conjured up thoughts of a special person -- a person with no known vices or quirks...as nearly perfect as one could be.
But, there I stood....holding a collapsed cereal box declaring, "This box has no integrity." Again, the next day, my sandwich bread "lacked integrity." And the seat belt receiver was "without integrity." In every case, the item was limp. I wonder "Who decided to trash a perfectly good word to replace another perfectly good word?"
"Lady" is another such word. Once reserved for a female person of strong morals and character, it is more often used to mean the opposite these days.
This morning, I was trying to read an important directive online. The author kept referring to the "functionality/" So far as I could tell, he was referring to the product's function.
I once had a penpal from China. She asked me to explain to her why it took so many words to convey one concept. When asked to give an example, she replied, "The man walked across the street." or "He strolled, sauntered, swaggered, crawled, sped, ran .".....well, you get the picture.
Nothing in this blog is definitive, life-changing, even brilliant. Methinks I find comfort in the olde meanings of words. "The integrity of the upright will guide them....."Proverbs 11:3
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