Language is constantly changing.
Today, “silly” means “foolish,” but in the early 1400s, it meant “blessed,” from the German selig, meaning “blessed.” By the late 1400s, the word meant “innocent.” Later, it was understood to mean “deserving compassion.” An ancient English writer might correctly have written: Silly are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven, but that language would be misunderstood today.
When Juliet said, “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou,” she wasn’t trying to find her beloved. She was talking to him, asking how he was doing.
As recent as the early 1950s, the term “make love” meant nothing more than to express affection, as with a hug or kiss. Only a few decades ago, a “thong” was something people wore on their feet.
We write what makes perfect sense to us, but are we sure our audience will understand what we mean? To “say what we mean,” we must be sure our readers, who came from a different background and culture, have a clear understanding of our words.
Participation in a writer’s group is crucial so we can identify places where others might be confused by what made perfect sense to us.
