third world county

“Now there abide these three: phonemes, syntax and semantics; but the greatest of these is semantics.”*

Rant: ON

I’m toying with making this a semi-regular pressure relief valve. It’s just that I get sooooo tired of folks who meaninglessly, uselessly, ignorantly degrade the mother tongue for no other apprent reasons than laziness, stupidity and illiteracy. Wait. That was multiple redundancies.

Today’s feature: jealousy vs. envy. I hear the words used interchangeably all the time nowadays. *sigh* If there’s anyone reading this who doesn’t know the difference between the two concepts, just google “jealousy vs. envy” and take just about any of the responses. I’ll bet they’ll detail the difference(s) more specifically than I’m about to, but with little or no substantive difference to what I’ll outline here:

Jealousy is focused on protection of something of YOURS from percieved THREAT of LOSS to SOMEONE ELSE. The object of the jealousy is something (or someone) you believe is YOURS.

Envy is a much darker emotion. If you are envious, YOU desire what SOMEONE ELSE has.

Simple: jealous of things/persons you believe are YOURS.

Envious of things SOMEONE ELSE possesses.

The fact that people can’t get it straight indicates a lack of literacy, reasoning ability or just plain laziness. Most likely all three.

Rant: OFF

*Phonemes (and phoneme analogs in writing) are the “sounds” that make up language.

Syntax is the structure, the form those sounds are placed into. (And don’t even think about ragging me for the phony “no prepositions at the end of sentences claptrap. ) It includes orthography and grammar.

Semantics is that without which phonemes and syntax are simply grunts and squeals and moans (think of rap “music”); semantics is meaning.

Trackback linked to (appropriately enough ) The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns and, Stuck on Stupid.