virus: Re: sociological change

Ken Pantheists (kenpan@axionet.com)
Thu, 28 Nov 1996 13:06:05 +0000


Martin Traynor wrote:

(on New Speak)

I understand it as a corruption of language designed to limit what
can be expressed within that language, specifically designed to limit
what the people can express, and thence (eventually) think. See
Orwells 1984. Although perhaps it has more recently come to mean
something different?
==============================================================

Martin is right.

I love how jonesr@gatwick (is that Drakir?) has written it linke this--
NewSpeak. As if it is a new system utility :)

The way it appears in Orwell is "newspeak"

It is a language DESIGNED to limit the thoughts you can express with it.

It has been over a decade since I read 1984, But I think I am
remembering it accurately-- the main character is employed by the
government to line edit the next government sanctioned dictionary.
Forbidden words are leeched from the language. Forbidden words are those
that have the potential of stirring emotion in the reader. For example
the words Glorious, Brilliant, Exciting would be replaced with Good,
Plus Good and Double Plus Good.

Pure utility.

If it has come to mean something different, it may be because the irony
of orwell's world has become more subtle to us.

Fer Surrre! Like y'know?

Kind of sad don't you think?

Regards
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Ken Pantheists
http://www.lucifer.com/~kenpan
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