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THE VIEW FROM OVER THE WATERSHED The evolution and devolution of words; and my rebellion. by Jay C. Smith
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HOPE BY THE time you read this the Covid-19 situation is over, or at least better. Or at least not worse. Or not much worse. Or...
I’m hunkered down in “stay at home unless your job is essential mode,” with no job, let alone an essential one, thinking about words and how they evolve in meaning and how they get “infected” by the words they are partnered with in a phrase. “Epicenter,” a term much used these days, has evolved (or devolved, take your choice). If we use its Latin roots it means “on or over the center.” Hence, its geological use describing the spot on the Earth’s surface that is directly over the fault slip that caused an earthquake. Nowadays it seems to mean just “center” (but cooler) or concentrated center or the center of some trouble. For an example of infection, consider the word “prophylactic.” It means, or meant, “to prevent disease.” Condoms were sometimes labeled “to prevent disease” or “Prophylactic” Condom.” The phrase came to be, more and more, shortened just to “prophylactic” so for many folks prophylactic became a noun, a word for condom, not an adjective about preventing disease. If someone said “Vitamin C has some prophylactic properties” they’d get odd looks. Lots of phrases end up being condensed to just one of the words of the phrase. Thus, “Frankenstein’s Monster” became Frankenstein, even though that was the scientist’s name, not the monster’s. One of the phrases that shrank, and I believe, infected its replacement is “invidious discrimination.” Once upon a time “discrimination” was a neutral, or even a positive term. It meant to recognize and understand the difference between one thing and another. Ads would appeal to “the discriminating buyer” who would recognize the quality of the product. I don’t suppose my readers would appreciate being called “discriminating lawyers” today. It’s obviously possible to be recognize the difference between things in a biased or negative manner. A phrase describing that is “invidious discrimination.” RES IPSA LOQUITUR
Invidious is a word with lots of negative synonyms. Viz., resentful, discriminatory or envious, calculated to create ill will or resentment or give offense, hateful and others. Clearly, invidious discrimination is the kind we disapprove of and may even want to make illegal; but it’s a mouthful. Eventually just “discriminate” came to mean invidiously discriminate, and is just as disliked and sometimes illegal. I should note that I’m someone who strongly, though sadly, supports the stay at home, maintain physical distancing tactics that are hoped to slow down the spread of Covid-19. I only leave home to pick up prescriptions, groceries and take-out food, and little of that since we are using delivery services more and more. I wear a mask when I leave the house. I do, however, leave the house to take two-mile walks six days a week. I rarely encounter anyone on the walks, and give them wide berth, probably 20 feet, when I do. So, what about “ORDER OF THE [Kern County] HEALTH OFFICER (Effective April 2, 2020). …Number 1.f. All persons who are 65 years old or older, have a chronic underlying condition, or have a compromised immune system should self-quarantine themselves at home or in their place of residence.” The term “self-quarantine” is not defined. I’m not condemning whoever wrote the order; I know full well that it is HARD to write rules clearly enough to escape confusion or inconsistency, but I’m not sure if f. applies to me. Do I violate it if I go for a walk wearing a mask and maintaining physical distancing? Does the order apply to TWO groups, those over 65 with chronic underlying conditions and those over 65 with compromised immune systems? Or to THREE groups, anyone over 65, anyone with underlying conditions, and anyone with a compromised immune system? I hope it’s the latter so whenever I take a walk, I’m not only getting fresh air and exercise I am also sticking it to the Man. Way cool! (I was a teenager in the Sixties and I haven’t gotten over it. Sorry.) Jay C. Smith is a Bakersfield attorney who retired from the Department of Child Support Services after working there for 15 years. He was in private practice for 25 years before joining DCSS.
