Inside the Cathedral of a Language
January 28, 2022 7:57 AM Subscribe
On Writing an Abcedarian. 26 intensely short essays on writing.
"English. I am monolingual, swimming in English, trapped in English, struggling to escape English by studying French. My progress is poor, but the door is open. To be inside the cathedral of a language is to be inside a particular view of the world. In French you don’t say “My name is Priscilla.” You say “Je m’appelle Priscilla” (“I call myself Priscilla”). Less fixed, more active. You don’t say “my hands,” you say “les mains” (the hands). Different ways of saying, different ways of seeing."
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"Handwriting. There is the feel of paper on fingertip, silken or soft or textured with a laid finish. A notebook can be pocket-sized or extra big as in the bulky blank book in which I now keep my journal. This Big Book is 13 inches tall, 11 inches wide, 2 inches fat. A two-page spread opens to 22 inches wide. So, room enough. In the notebook, of whatever size, you can practice making letters, drawing letters. You can write sideways or slantwise or in circles. You can draw pictures next to your words. You can dream, you can cross out words, write them again, begin again. You are free, at liberty. This is the quiet, intimate space of composition. By comparison, the keyboard is a corporate office machine."
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"Yesternight. Language is always in flux, always changing, morphing, moving. Words are added; words drop away. Words shift in meaning to mirror the world: digitize used to mean to manipulate with the fingers. But what about yesternight—meaning last night—last used, according to the Oxford English Dictionary in 1888? What was it that caused yesternight to disappear while yesterday stayed in common use?"
"English. I am monolingual, swimming in English, trapped in English, struggling to escape English by studying French. My progress is poor, but the door is open. To be inside the cathedral of a language is to be inside a particular view of the world. In French you don’t say “My name is Priscilla.” You say “Je m’appelle Priscilla” (“I call myself Priscilla”). Less fixed, more active. You don’t say “my hands,” you say “les mains” (the hands). Different ways of saying, different ways of seeing."
--
"Handwriting. There is the feel of paper on fingertip, silken or soft or textured with a laid finish. A notebook can be pocket-sized or extra big as in the bulky blank book in which I now keep my journal. This Big Book is 13 inches tall, 11 inches wide, 2 inches fat. A two-page spread opens to 22 inches wide. So, room enough. In the notebook, of whatever size, you can practice making letters, drawing letters. You can write sideways or slantwise or in circles. You can draw pictures next to your words. You can dream, you can cross out words, write them again, begin again. You are free, at liberty. This is the quiet, intimate space of composition. By comparison, the keyboard is a corporate office machine."
--
"Yesternight. Language is always in flux, always changing, morphing, moving. Words are added; words drop away. Words shift in meaning to mirror the world: digitize used to mean to manipulate with the fingers. But what about yesternight—meaning last night—last used, according to the Oxford English Dictionary in 1888? What was it that caused yesternight to disappear while yesterday stayed in common use?"
Both beautiful and informative. I'm struck by the wonder of words after contemplating on this piece.
posted by Senza Volto at 9:38 AM on January 28, 2022
posted by Senza Volto at 9:38 AM on January 28, 2022
I dipped into and out of this piece throughout the day today, and it was exactly what I needed. Thank you.
posted by Inkslinger at 9:21 PM on January 28, 2022
posted by Inkslinger at 9:21 PM on January 28, 2022
Nice piece, and I’m grateful for the introduction to the abecedarian form. I might have a go!
posted by Phanx at 2:56 AM on January 29, 2022
posted by Phanx at 2:56 AM on January 29, 2022
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"A diary is a friend to whom all things may be spoken."
posted by missinformation at 9:36 AM on January 28, 2022