Write simple english, please

While acknowledging the fact that Prince Obrien-Coker's posting on the
prevalence of "big words" on this forum did not specifically refer to me, I,
however, claim ownership of some, if not the most, of the words he listed
down. Prince should fear no mistake:his criticisms are constructive,
genuine.

And harder to dismiss. I can relate to the pain of head-splitting words.
Reading my periodicals(The Economist, Foreign Affairs, Current History,
etc), sometimes brings me in close contact with words that are beyond my
comprehension. I am either forced to consult a dictionary, or if bored or
lazy, I try to construct some understanding out of the context the word or
phrase is used, or give up altogether. This is not an exciting exercise for
any reader.

Last year, or to be precise, Februray-March, I came under fire for the "big
words" I used in some of my postings during my debate with Halifa Sallah. I
had just joined the Gambia-L. When the uproar settled down, Brother Amadou
Kabir Njie, who dubbed me a "young writer with great potential," urged me,
without emotional biases and ridicule, to take a leaf out of other African
writers who "write in simple english." Kabir(I admire him greatly even
though we have never met), was able, what others couldn't, to impress upon
me a sense of urgency with the calls for a "simplication" of my vocabulary
for easy consumption for many more G-Lers.

I had to undergo penetrating self-criticisms. I resolved to writing in a
simpler way for a wider readership. A year since, I have been writing
occasionally on this forum. Since the criticims were no longer coming, and
given the fact that each time I wrote, my e-mail account was bulging with
compliments on my vocabulary, I thought I had now succeeded in making myself
a lot simpler on Gambia-L.

Silly me. I thought with the private, and sometimes public, rave reviews on
my style of writing and english, my readership had widened its frontiers.
Wrong. I also thought the central themes of my articles were now within easy
comprehension. Wrong again. Unfortunately and evidently, I have failed to
measure up to higher readership-understanding. And that's become one of the
inadequacies of my writings on Gambia-L.

But permit me to say, if you will, that sometimes for lack of - or even
forgetfullness - of simpler words, one may be compelled to use words that
may be considered "big" by others. Consider the word unflappability
(remaining calm in the midst of crisis). This word is found in the Oxford
Advanced Learner's dictionary, although Prince reportedly didn't find it in
any of his dictionaries. I used this word to describe Jammeh's safe and
peaceful environment(Kanilia), while the seat of government(Banjul),was
caught in a political crisis represented by an alleged coup plot,
occasioning shoot-outs, deaths, mass stampede in and around the city.
Meanwhile the president luxuriated in his cosy residence at Kanilia. The
word unflappability came straight to mind.

What about 'discombobulating?'- another word Prince diddn't see in his
dictionaries. To discombobulate is to confuse somebody to the extent of
damage. One of the boxing commentators in the Mike Tyson match on Sunday,
was encouraged that Tyson wasn't 'discombobulated' (his own word), this time
around, meaning he had not lost his temper to the point of self-destruction.
Tyson, in the last two matches with Evander, was discombobulated in the
ring, causing him to bite off his opponent's ear in the second match,
bringing him international shame and condemnation. By this word, I tried
capturing in good accuracy and precision, the political confusion with
disastrous consequences, The Gambia was being dragged into - again.

Which, however, is not to justify my usage of "big" words much to the
difficulty of understanding of some people. All writers need their messages
understood, and better still, by as many people as possible. Acting upon the
spruce of the moment, I wish I had used the simpler words Prince listed
against mine. In the name of better and wider readership, I ought to be
understandable to even "Crab Island School drop-outs." I agree.

Part of the good of Prince's criticisms is that he didn't find any instances
of wrongful use of words. But wait: he disagrees with the extension of the
derivative -ability, to words like publishable(P-u-b-l-i-s-h-a-b-i-l-i-t-y).
I used this word in one of my postings. True such a word is not found in the
dictionary, atleast not in mine, but sometimes, writers coin words to
enhance communication and readability, even though such words do not exist.
For simplicity or concision purposes, writers do sometimes creat/adjust some
words or phrases to be clearer or understandable in their points.

If Prince demands being taken serious about his ridicule, or if I am  among
those he derided, let me say that I am not a "Humpty Dumpty
journalist"(laugh, it's funny). In fact, I am not a journalist - now(the
last time I was one was in 1996, the year I left The Gambia). At the
moment,apart from being an undergraduate student in economics and
international politics, I also do part-time, freelance writing, not
journalism.

My love for and "excellence" in, words, shouldn't be construed as pomposity
or "showing off." I am too humble to be showy, especially in a foreign
language however I try to excel in, still leaves me susceptible to grave
blunders. But I assure you this: All words I use will not be misplaced. They
will be guided by accuracy and precision. It is dangerous to use words
unknown to one; that's a recipe for wrong information and bad knowledge.

But to any extent that I wrongly use words or use them beyond the grasp of
readers, I stand exposed, corrected and enlightened. It makes it a lot
better - for us all.

Cherno Baba Jallow
Detroit, MI

PS: Alas and Modou Sanyang: Your points are well taken. Modou, I am sorry
for the headache caused by my words. I will mail you a check for
"paracetamol"(laugh).



>From: Prince Obrien-Coker <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Good English or Poepi-Nak? Part 1
>Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2000 19:34:19 +0100
>
>TO ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE GAMBIA LIST
>
>"If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant.
>If what is said is not what is meant, then what ought to be done remains
>undone."
>
>I am extremely sorry to begin with Confucius, but the way things are going
>with some of the contributors to the Gambia List is seriously worth
>addressing. Some are of the conviction that they are so good in their
>command of the English language that they should impress the List with
>words. Words that make readers to run for a dictionary.
>The questions are; is it an art of good writing or is it just to show-off?
>We all know what we contribute to the List and we do that for people to
>understand us. But when one writes, "Perchance you were lost in the
>labyrinth of my prose", as in a posting meant for Jabou few days ago, I
>asked myself whether this writer had any intention to be understood. The
>Gambia List, to my understanding is a forum and not a symposium and as such
>should be a place for all Tom, Dick and Kumba, where academic pretension is
>totally out of place.
>
>In my observation, some of the writers of what I call "sheer Poepi-Nak"
>have forgotten that they are not English but Gambians. They ignore the fact
>that they are writing in an "foreign" language, and not wanting to know
>that
>the English Language is only the language of their intellectual make-up and
>not their emotional make-up. We, as Gambians, are all somewhat bilingual,
>we write something in a language that is not ours things that are mentally
>ours. I challenge anybody on this List to tell me in English, (in 3 words)
>with all shades and omissions and in the same thought-movement the meaning
>of the phrase "Katta utti Goal". There are 9 or 10 English words to define
>the single Gambian word "Suttora or Suttoro". The thought-movement of such
>a
>word in a Gambian language carries more weight than all English words for
>it.
>
>The most appalling aspect of some of these writers, is their tendency to
>coin new words or give their own meaning to an existing one. Which made me
>to call them Humpty-Dumpty journalists. With, 3 dictionaries and 2
>thesauri,
>I can hardly find some of the words they use. Words that do not exist in
>the
>English Language thereby causing a rush for dictionaries and the constant
>complain of headaches by members of this "Cyber-Vous". Another intolerable
>style of their writing is their attempts to make nouns out of verbs that do
>not have a noun, by adding "-ability" to the verb, thus producing horrible
>words like "Publishability". They turn verbs to nouns by adding "-ise"
>(e.g.
>Contextualise). These people consider themselves TOO educated to use simple
>phrases like "worth publishing" or "to put in/into context", not thinking
>that some of there readers might be Crab Island School dropouts. Below, I
>have listed some of the "Poepi-Nak" I have read on this forum and I have
>tried to give sensible meaning to some of them. Comments in bracket are
>mine.
>
>
>1. Banjulian = Wa-Banjul
>(What would you call somebody from Talinding Kunjang? I guess Talinding
>Kunjangian.)
>2. Deleterious political = harmful politics
>3. Transmogrified = transform
>4. Legerdemain = trickery
>5. Unbridled recalcitrance = unchecked defiance
>6. Stygian depths = low depths
>(Some of us are not versed in Greek Mythology)
>7. A scintilla of evidence = jot of evidence
>8. Publishability = worth publishing
>(A non-existent English-like word. Coined by the writer)
>9. Choke-full of allegations = full of allegations
>(The adjective choke-full is archaic and only used by some old Aku women)
>10. Cynical imbecility = very stupid
>11. The vacuous aggrandized theme = empty but lofty theme
>12. To the point of ad nauseaum = to the point of disgust
>(This writer thinks ad nauseaum is the singular for ad nauseam)
>13. A retrogressive of inversion of priorities
>(I don't know what this writer means)
>14. Espousing political expediency = adopting political advantage
>(There is an element of politic in expediency)
>15. Any historical disquisition = Any discussion of the past events
>16. The trammels of military-civilian-dictatorship = the shackles of.
>17. A new-fangled political process = new-fashioned political process
>18. The veracity of his allegations = The credibility of his allegations
>19. Believability = credibility
>20. Without any tangibility = without any proof
>21. Contextualise = put in (into) context
>22. Amateurishness = Naivete, Inexperience
>23. Applicability = Suitability, Aptness
>24. Discombobulating spectacle = ?????????
>(I honestly do not know what the first word means. Can someone please tell
>me?)
>26. Unflappability = ???????????
>(I can't find this word in my dictionaries)
>27. Phantasmal forlornness =
>(Phantasmagoric lonesomeness WOW!)
>
>The writer who wrote "My presumption of your believing Jallow's allegations
>was not necessarily indicative of certainty or believability on your part,
>about Jallow's account" is not worth to be read.
>
>TO BE CONTINUED....
>
>Prince Coker
>
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