Dakota Beacon

Words mean things.

Words, like people, have a life of their own. They are born, live, work and die. It comes as no surprise that all languages feature change as their common ingredient.

Words express ideas, values, and norms. They express contemporary ideas and attitudes from the noble to the ignoble to the despicable. Ethical qualities find expression in the words we use. When ideas, values and norms become less relevant, then specific words become orphans unnecessary in daily expression.

Words pass away when no longer needed as seen especially in the onslaught of the cultural upheaval known as Modernism. The larger view of Modernism traces its roots back to the Renaissance. Reason would cleanse society of the corrupting influences of religion and political ideology. Reason and knowledge through education would usher in a perfect society. This thinking remains with us today.

Result? Slowly, with the general renunciation of religion in general, and Christianity in particular, came the abandonment of standards of behavior and the source of self-imposed moral restraint. When behavior changed, words describing forms of behavior were no longer needed.
We are witnessing the disappearance of portions of our vocabulary. If we no longer embrace the ideas behind cultural standards, then there is no need to express the ideas in words. These are words less heard in conversation, literature, TV and movies. Who needs words conveying an obsolete sense of right and wrong, good and evil? Orphan words are grimy little urchins for which there is no longer any use. Following are examples of orphan words.

Character: Moral or ethical strength; a description of a person's attributes, traits, or abilities; public estimation of someone; reputation. A less formal definition might be what you are when no one is looking. We used to value respect, reputation, and admiration from others for our truthfulness, reliability, and integrity.

Morality: The quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct; a system of ideas of right and wrong conduct; religious morality; virtuous conduct.

Conscience: The awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one's conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong; a source of moral or ethical judgment or pronouncement; conformity to one's sense of right conduct. We are witnessing full blown values clarification taught in schools during the '50s, '60s, and '70s. Objective right and wrong ceased to exist. Each person has the license to clarify for themselves what is right and wrong and weigh the consequences. One person must not judge another nor impose their values on another.

Fidelity: Faithfulness to obligations, duties, or observances; exact correspondence with a given quality, condition, or event; accuracy. In an age where extra-marital affairs are common, where divorce is as easy as breathing, where kids grow up without their biological mom or dad, what contemporary idea does the word "fidelity" express?

Honor: A code of integrity, dignity, and pride, chiefly among men, maintained in some societies; principled uprightness of character; personal integrity; a woman's chastity or reputation for chastity. Honor receives no recognition when "truth" is spun for personal gain.

Virtue: Moral excellence, righteousness, and goodness; chastity, especially in a girl or woman. Militant feminist drove this word out of our culture long ago. To them it smacks of condemnation of women's sexuality in the midst of the sexual revolution.

Deportment is the manner of presenting oneself through conduct or public behavior and reflects one's self-discipline as evidenced by decorum.

Decorum denotes appropriate social behavior or propriety. It survives today as a severely restricted form of good manners.

Manners are un-enforced standards of conduct. A display of good manners is a tacit recognition of the right of others to share communal space. Exercising good manners shows a sense of propriety.

Propriety denotes correctness in behavior and morals, the quality of being appropriate. As with manners, correct behavior implies a baseline from which to measure correctness. It also implies demeanor.

Demeanor is the outward evidence of an inward standard displayed as decent behavior toward others.

These words, and others, express a notion otherwise called "traditional values." Traditional values provide a pathway to move individuals beyond personal trial and temptation.

If standards change as does our vocabulary, then how can we say that character counts? Why bother instilling the rudiments of character in young people? Why not make speech codes universal and be done with it?

In a culture where everyone does that which is right in their own eyes, who needs value-laden words adopted from the orphanage of English? Animal grunts should suffice.

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at P. O. Box 337, Stanley, ND 58784 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).