On Words.

This is what a lot of linguists and writers and the rest of us are always wondering about: how to tally words at least remotely with the things they are supposed to describe. Whatever the language, this is still a pretty difficult goal. When I'm speaking or writing in a foreign language, even English, I only occasionally achieve a sense of accomplishment with the words I'm using to convey a message - and it's not a stroll in the park with my mother tongue either. Language demands a constant state of alertness, at least of someone who is using it as deliberately and (admittedly) pedantically as I usually am. I cannot help it. Those bloody syllable combinations just don't have a solid connection with reality (ask Ferdinand de Saussure), and that's why using them well requires so much competence and cultural experience. Words never leave you alone. This can be frustrating sometimes. But it's also quite a lot of fun. Let's see if I can get a bit more specific about this whole problematic in the near future. 04:21