Language
Chapter Seven
“Use your words!”
Language Characteristics
Arbitrary
• “Symbols used to represent things that are not intrinsically
connected to those things” (220).
• What meanings do we have for the word “hot?”
Ambiguous
• “Language does not have precise, concrete meanings” (220).
• Things are what we call them, because that is what we have chosen
to call them!
Abstract
• “Words are not concrete or tangible items; they are only
representations” (221).
• Words are what we use to explain our reality.
• Ladder of abstraction: Thing
Animal
Pet
Dog
Golden Retriever
Hierarchical
• “Language that is structured according to more or less, higher or
lower” (221).
• Freshman  Sophomore  Junior  Senior
Spoken vs. Written Language
• Spoken language is irreversible; once it is said it cannot be unsaid
• Spoken language is less formal than written language; we do not
speak the way we write
Structuring Language
Repetition
• “Repeating words and phases” (222).
• Examples in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream”
speech
• “The Walking Dead is number one on TV right now. Number one!”
Alliteration
• “Repeating the same consonant or vowel sound at the beginning of
subsequent words” (223).
• Peace, prosperity, and progress
• She sell sea shells by the sea shore!
• Ronald Reagan, Betty Boop, Nicholas Nickleby, Anna Allen 
Parallelism
• “Similarly structuring related words, phrases, or clauses of speech”
(223).
• Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast.
• I will discuss proper yoga warm up, proper yoga breathing, and
proper yoga posture.
Antithesis
• The juxtaposition of opposite ideas.
• “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for
your country!”
Language Devices
Metaphor
• Direct comparison of two things – two things are dissimilar in most
ways, but alike in one important way
• Juliet is the sun.
• She is my angel.
Similes
• An indirect comparison of two things using the words “like” or “as” –
allows each thing to retain its unique characteristics.
• He is as strong as an ox!
• She’s mad as a bull.
• Juliet is like the sun.
Other Metaphor Types
• Synecdoche: use one part of a thing to represent the whole thing
• Metonymy: use a tangible object to represent an intangible one
• Archetypal: relate to common human experiences – “light and
darkness” to represent “good and evil”
• Mix Metaphor: compares two objects that have no logical connection
with one another
Guidelines for Using Language
• Avoid profanity
• Avoid hate speech
• Do not use too many metaphors/clichés
• Use vivid language when telling a story
• Use language you are familiar with
• Use inclusive language
• Use an active voice
• Avoid wordiness
• Adapt your language to your audience