LANGUAGE: THE AESTHETIC OF SIMPLICITY

The beauty of understandable dictions and why we should always try to sound simple to avoid ambiguity

LANGUAGE: THE AESTHETICS OF SIMPLICITY
Many users of English as second language are often under the misconception that the more high sounding words they use, the more respect they command and the more competent they become. This is a million miles away from the truth, because such words may end up landing such speakers in trouble of either misconstrue or grave argument.
Imagine a scenario where those involved in the teaching of English language and some other subjects such as mathematics, chemistry, biology, economics, agriculture, geography, government, literature in English, inter alia, use bombastic words or jaw breaking vocabulary. Will it not compound the confusion of the learners? The plain truth is that, such words would negatively help in confusing the students the more. It is an undeniable fact to say, at this juncture, that high sounding words otherwise called bombastic words make the confusion of the learners to be undefined. One will have to go about with either a websters dictionary or an advanced learners’ dictionary. How cumbersome! Isn’t that crazy?
The cases of language abuses are becoming more and more rampant nowadays that I think the offenders should be punishable before the law. Funny, though. In our homes, churches, organizations, conferences, workshops, lecture halls, etc, we often meet such “language cruxifiers”. Few years ago, we heard the story of one Honorable Patrick when he was a member of the House of Representatives. He is an erudite elite who confessed that he does learn at least five new words every day. In the house, one should not think that his repertoire of vocabularies would earn him more than alienation. He was known for his, perchance, deliberate use of bombastic words to raise unnecessary dust in the house. As a member of the house, he always liked to be identified with his jaw-breaking grammar. It was stated that there was no meeting held without him causing commotion which often threw the majority of the house off balance due to his perpetual use of “strange words”. Story has it that his people had once told him that they did not vote him in to blow grammar like atomic bomb, but to contribute effectively for National development and to be their “eyes” in the government. The crime of language abuse, as the story has it, has succeeded in robbing him off another tenure, which he fought gallantly to secure.
The other day, a friend of mine shared a joke with me, on facebook, which depicts beautifully the aesthetics of simplicity of language. The joke goes this way: There was a landlord fondly called “Prof.” by his friends and tenants due to his use of jaw-breaking and mind blowing words, otherwise bombastic words. The man is so jovial that both his children and tenants like to cluster around him each time he is around, for influx of new words, which they use to curse themselves, and other people around them who step on their nerves. The landlord was well known in and outside the vicinity for his choice of diction. His diction is so hard that whenever he spoke people had to consult the dictionary. One day, his house was on fire and he rushed to the nearest phone-booth to call the fire station, for he was looking up some new words in his dictionary that he could not get up to charge his phone before the fire started, to help him extinguish the fire. The moment the phone was lifted on the other end, the Prof started:

Prof: A magnanimous conflagration is consuming my domiciliary edifice.
The station worker: Pardon sir�"
Prof: Conflagration so magnanimous like volcanic eruption is furiously consuming my domiciliary edifice.
The station worker: Wait sir!
Unfortunately, the person on duty was not very educated. The primary school leaving certificate holder had no option left for him, but to hold the call in order to look up the keywords in the dictionary. By the time he was through checking the meanings of the words, everything in the man’s house has been burnt to ashes. What a devastating effect of bombastic words on both user and the hearers! What a simple “my house is on fire” would have solved.
Many a time, people quarrel, exchange words, fight as a result of confusing words they used to express themselves. This however, does not mean that the people should abstain from such words. One can use it, but abuse of it is unacceptable since it leads to unnecessary arguments and misunderstandings.
Thank God for the professors and other learned men and women who lecture in simple understandable everyday language. When I got admission into this institution, I heard that the school has too many professors and PhD holders. I was afraid for I thought that I would not understand their teachings. I always thought of how disdaining it would be to be taught by such intellectuals whom I thought must be using high sounding words like that of Hon. Patrick. To my surprise, Prof Inyama who was the first professor I came in contact with taught us in a simple everyday language. As time went on, I met some other professors such as Prof A.N Akwanya, Prof Onwuka, Prof Oforma, Prof Dieke; doctors such as Dr Ezema, Dr Uche Asogwa, Dr. Mrs Akabogu; and some distinguished lecturers such as Mr. Egbe Cajetan, Mr. Okon Etim Okon, Mrs Nweze, Rev Sis Igwedibia, etc, and came to realize that they are not literally drown in ocean of bombastic words as some “language abusers” do.
To sum, it is a beautiful idea if one has a large repertoire of words. Such words should be used reasonably not to confuse, but to convince other language users. This will help to bring out the aesthetics of simplicity of the language.