About the Author
that I love with every fibre of my being - the True North Strong and Free - Canada .
Like Canada , the English language is amazingly diverse , capable of soaring heights of intellect and achievement and devastating lows of depravity . It ’ s complex , resistant to easy labeling and of course , daffy to the eyebrows . Much like Canada ’ s diverse ethnic tapestry , English is filled with words and phrases we ’ ve borrowed from other languages and cultures .
For example , you probably know that attaché , ( the person not the briefcase ) ballet , silhouette and gaffe all come to us from French , but did you know that words such as bungalow , khaki , pyjama and ( heaven help us ) guru are in fact Indian in origin ?
Algebra , zero , mattress and sofa come to us from the Arabian language . The nation of China has gifted us with feng shui , kung fu , silk and surprisingly , ketchup .
Fans of The Walking Dead will appreciate words such as zombie , cola , banana and jamboree , all of which hail from the African continent . ( One wonders what an “ African banana cola zombie jamboree ” would look like - great fun I should think .)
From Spain we get cigar , guerrilla , hurricane and vanilla . Artisan , balcony , cartoon and replica come to us from Italy . The Dutch ( bless them ) bring us booze , cookie , cruise and somewhat oddly , yankee .
And so on , ad nauseum . English truly is a kind of stew - a word derived from the French étuver - a mishmash of languages from around the world .
Now I know you dear reader . You ’ re sitting back , sipping on a mocha-latte-frappa-hoopa-al-pacino and shaking your head wondering what my point could possibly be . As an entrepreneur , language is one of your most powerful tools for engaging and connecting with your audience . While you certainly don ’ t need to access the full range of philological funny-business that makes up the language , the Oxford English Dictionary currently lists 171,476 words in current use , and 47,156 so-called “ obsolete ” words . Finding the right combination that can draw a through-line from the heart of your business to the heart of your customer is a powerful thing indeed .
Explore the full range of the wonderful miasma that is the English language . Don ’ t be afraid to dip into the pot of unusual words to make your point . People are far smarter , and far more curious , than we ’ re led to believe . “ Strunk and White ” be damned .
You need not be confined to the same small bucket of words that everyone else uses . Be creative . Be bold . Be unique .
apple
About the Author
Mackenzie Clench is a Copywriter who works with badass and heart-centered entrepreneurs to help them share their unique “ song ” with the world . He is also a social observer and advocate for women ’ s rights . He does not , as a rule , refer to himself in the third person . Unless you ’ d like him to . Mackenzie can be contacted via Email or his Website - www . mackenzieclench . com .
� � �
25