I suddenly had a rather unexpected urge to learn Spanish the other day - sent for a CD course and book. The first has arrived and I've listened to the alphabet and how to pronounce it properly. I still await the book - I like a book, computer screen is good, but paper and print are essential - I'm an old-fashioned gal.But, before I rush full tilt into my studies I realise that, as yet, I cannot fully understand the evolving English language - as she is spoken in this fair land. Yesterday I came across an article about "bracket wars" Brackets? Those are for putting up shelves. Is there a shortage, or are competing manufacturers getting over-stroppy? The piece made no sense to me at all, especially as, within a few paragraphs, I stumbled over another unknown term: "meta". I have always understood meta- as a prefix meaning beyond or above. It appears writers who feel they are being "hip" or "cool" now use meta to refer to something that is self-referential. Sigh. I searched for enlightenment, found this piece by Ben Zimmer from last May in the Boston Globe He begins:
You know what? I’d love to write a column about the word meta. I could explain how meta started off as a prefix meaning “above or beyond” (the metaphysical realm is beyond the physical one) or “at a higher level of abstraction” (metalanguage is language used to describe other language). Then I could talk about how meta broke free as a standalone adjective to mean “consciously self-referential” and has become a perfect meta-commentary on the consciously self-referential age we live in. Maybe I could even start the column with an introduction about wanting to write about the word meta............I think it'll be less irritating for me to learn Spanish than to wind my head around what is happening to English.
I hadn't really pondered this change, but I am aware of the transition of "meta", as its newer use is in many of my readings. I took medical terminology several decades ago and "meta" meant "about and around". Because of your post today, I looked at Wiki...the prefix has indeed become adjective and word:
ReplyDelete"...in his 1979 book...Hofstadter uses meta as a stand-alone word, both as an adjective and as a directional preposition ("going meta", a term he coins for the old rhetorical trick of taking a debate or analysis to another level of abstraction, as when somebody says "This debate isn't going anywhere")."
"The modern sense of "an X about X" has given rise to concepts like "meta-discussion", a discussion about discussion, "meta-joke", a joke about jokes, and "metaprogramming", writing programs that write programs."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta
mike ~~ I just do not like it though, when the word is used in this way. It smells of being clever just for the sake of being clever.....erm.....
ReplyDeleteSome writers simply like to sound superior....or try to.
Why is it necessary, anyway, to have a word to describe a joke about jokes etc?
If one were needed they should make up a new one not re-purpose a word with an already understood meaning. :-(
Spanish should be easy for you. Second language in USA, get out en la calle among the Hispanics (and you will also have a great time learning the tango as well)
ReplyDeleteYorkshire vowels will help you too :)
JD ~~ I don't expect too much of a strain - I picked up some tiny bits during many, many vacations in Tenerife over some 15 years, and I used to know some Italian which might help a bit if I can dredge it up again - and schoolday Latin, and French. It all helps to get the right pathways open in the ol' grey matter. :-)
ReplyDeleteYorkshire vowels are the only true vowels, JD ! ;-)
Meta means "goal" or "objective" in Spanish btw :)
ReplyDeleteDC ~~ Really? LOL! Coincidence that the post, without my realising it, touched on the word and my goal, both. :-)
ReplyDelete