More word thought
Words define our place in the Universe, our community, and our humanity. We need to express our feelings, ideas and goals; so we use words. Humans use words, nearly to the overt exclusion of our other modes of expression. In particular, when we are not face-to-face, such as now. And when we do, we need to bear in mind that words alone seldom carry much emotional freight. This is the treacherous realm of the casual email, where meaning is colored by the mood of the recipient rather than the sender. Consequently, we must choose our words with care and use them with as much precision as we can.
Yet to use words that are precise, often requires effort on both sides of a conversation. A reader must be aware of special terms and their meaning before they can successfully decipher a complex message. A writer must take pains to ensure that they are using any special terms correctly. Without BOTH efforts, a message will very likely be misconstrued.
So, a glossary of special terms is very helpful to both reader and writer. Many writers feel this instinctively, and include one in their books or on their websites. Yet many readers don't use them, whether out of laziness or arrogance or just plain ignorance. On the other hand, there are writers who believe that their writing is somehow touched by the Gods and the reader will magically absorb the writer's idiosyncratic usage. These folks NEED a clue-by-four.
Spirituality is a tricksy, mine-laden subject that demands a very precise and coherent vocabulary. It's hard to be clear if two sides of the discussion use the same words differently. That is why I try to find words that have been lost in time, so that an old concept has it's own precision brought forward to us moderns. Often generating the common vocabulary forces me and my readers to re-examine the glossaries and promotes better understanding by ensuring that we are all on the same page, if not the same paragraph! That's why I use words like Twyern, Gidden, and Weardian instead of the clumsy work-arounds that Standard English uses for those same concepts...they state concisely what the concept IS.
Yet to use words that are precise, often requires effort on both sides of a conversation. A reader must be aware of special terms and their meaning before they can successfully decipher a complex message. A writer must take pains to ensure that they are using any special terms correctly. Without BOTH efforts, a message will very likely be misconstrued.
So, a glossary of special terms is very helpful to both reader and writer. Many writers feel this instinctively, and include one in their books or on their websites. Yet many readers don't use them, whether out of laziness or arrogance or just plain ignorance. On the other hand, there are writers who believe that their writing is somehow touched by the Gods and the reader will magically absorb the writer's idiosyncratic usage. These folks NEED a clue-by-four.
Spirituality is a tricksy, mine-laden subject that demands a very precise and coherent vocabulary. It's hard to be clear if two sides of the discussion use the same words differently. That is why I try to find words that have been lost in time, so that an old concept has it's own precision brought forward to us moderns. Often generating the common vocabulary forces me and my readers to re-examine the glossaries and promotes better understanding by ensuring that we are all on the same page, if not the same paragraph! That's why I use words like Twyern, Gidden, and Weardian instead of the clumsy work-arounds that Standard English uses for those same concepts...they state concisely what the concept IS.