This week’s column deals with two queries sent in by readers. It is all about ‘abusage’ and ‘appropriacy’.
1. Is the term ‘abusage’ a commonly used word in English? What does it mean? (Rita Helen, Bangalore)
Dictionary.reference.com defines it as improper use of words and unidiomatic or ungrammatical language. It is not a common word. The synonyms of the word are misuse, abuse, malapropism, maltreatment, misapplication.
I came across the word ‘abusage’ for the first time in 1992 during my visit to a bookshop in Bangalore. It appears in the title of Eric Partridge’s book Usage & Abusage published by Penguin over seven decades ago. To be exact, the book was first published in 1942. The revised version of the book, edited by Janet Witcut, was published in 1994. The author has used the word ‘abusage’ to refer to incorrect and inappropriate use of language. This reference book, considered a competitor to Fowler’s Modern English Usage, not only tells the reader “how to use English correctly, but is also a declaration of war on its misuse”. The book is a valuable guide for everyone interested in speaking and writing correct English. Here is an example of how the author deals with the confusing words ‘advance’ and ‘advancement’. “The two nouns are not interchangeable. ‘Advance’ means ‘progress, going forward’, as in ‘an advance in computer technology’. ‘Advancement’ means ‘promotion, bringing forward’, as in ‘work towards the advancement of socialism’.”
2. Sir, you have used ‘appropriacy’ in a few of your columns. Is it an acceptable term in English? Do you use it as it rhymes with the words ‘accuracy’ and ‘fluency’ that you have mentioned as important for effective communication? (Shanmugavel, Coimbatore)
The word ‘appropriacy’ is quite a popular term in the field of linguistics and English language teaching. According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary (www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com), it means “the extent to which a word or phrase sounds correct and natural in relation to the situation it is used in”. The general meaning of the word is “the extent to which something is suitable or acceptable”.
My definition of ‘appropriacy’ is saying the right thing in the right manner at the right time to the right person. It is not just the matter that matters. Effective communication is the right combination of matter and manner. Manner includes good pronunciation, tone and body language. Let’s look at this example. Though ‘Thanks’ and ‘Thank you’ are used to express gratitude, ‘Thanks’ is used by people in ab informal context whereas, ‘Thank you’ is used in a formal context. It is not appropriate for a student to say ‘Thanks’ when the teacher congratulates him/her. The student must say ‘Thank you’.
Is there a difference between appropriacy and appropriateness? No, both the words can be used interchangeably. Yes, ‘appropriacy’ is more appropriate than ‘appropriateness’ when we use the words ‘accuracy’ and ‘fluency’ together in a series to refer to skills that one should possess in order to be an effective communicator.
— rayanal@yahoo.co.uk