Hi Che,
Being a writer, analyst and of course a sharp critic of whatever you
want to potray, and the way with which you coined your words bringing
in words unknown to some of your readers really manifest your skill
and art of writing which many envy you for and others seeing it as a
show off.But those of us who are familiar with your style of writing
would always encourage you to continue.
However, as OB Sillah pointed out as having some difficulty in
grasping the meaning of some of your words or finding some in a
dictionary, I only hope you will raise down your pen a bit low to
accomodate your wider readership.
Despite the criticisms leveled against you, some of which are constructive
and others destructive, this has given you an open space to address the
concerns as are raised in the future.
I therefore concur with your response to the above issue. Your writings are
older than your age. Keep it up.
Farage
_____________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: SV: Write simple english, please
Author: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
<[log in to unmask]> at Internet
Date: 2/2/00 7:41 PM
Cherno Baba,
No "paracetamol" and no Oxford dictionary needed for this posting I`ll assume.
Ihope 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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