Cherno Baba,

No "paracetamol" and no Oxford dictionary needed for this posting I`ll assume. I hope the brothers see your point. I for one fancy your style of writing and your diction. You`re my favourite writer in this "house". Keep it up.

Regards,
Omar.
-----Opprinnelig melding-----
Fra: chernob jallow <[log in to unmask]>
Til: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Dato: 2. februar 2000 09:32
Emne: Write simple english, please


>                      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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