Word

Definition:

A word is a symbol that consists of a combination of letters with matching sounds, and symbolizes a meaning which can be used to construct sentences.

Etymology:

The word “word” comes from the Old English “word,” which has the same meaning as the modern English term. It is derived from the Proto-Germanic “*wurdan,” which also meant “word.” The Proto-Germanic term is linked to the Proto-Indo-European root “*were-,” meaning “to speak” or “to say.”

Description:

Words have meaning. The precise explanation of the meaning of a word is called a definition. The study of the origin and historical development of words and their meanings is called etymology. The scientific study of language and its structure, including the study of syntax, phonetics, and semantics, is called linguistics. The branch of linguistics that deals with the meanings of words, phrases, and sentences, and the relationships between them is called semantics.

There are many types of words, and many ways to categorize them. We are being taught that the most important thing to learn about words is to conjugate them. It’s worth noting that the word “conjugate” contains the prefix “con-.” In Norwegian, they say “to bend” the words. Bending means to lie, just like we say “bending the truth.” We will not be focusing much on conjugation, but instead on other ways of categorizing words, mostly because they have been used as wordplay when developing language, such as:

The list goes on and on…

Symbolism:

“Words” is an anagram of “sword” if you move the letter “s,” meaning sun, from east (right) to west (left). Words and swords carry the same symbolism, as words have been manipulated to cause fights. This is often portrayed in stories where characters fight as a symbol of their inability to communicate with each other. For example:

The movie “They Live” follows the protagonist John Nada, a drifter who discovers a pair of sunglasses that reveal a hidden reality. When Nada puts on the sunglasses, he sees that the world is controlled by alien creatures who use subliminal messages to manipulate humanity. These aliens have infiltrated society and hold positions of power. John tries to convince his friend Frank Armitage by showing him the sunglasses, but they end up fighting for six minutes, so long that it creates a comic effect, before John is able to put the sunglasses on Frank. This symbolizes how difficult it can be to find the right words to explain the global scam, as people are programmed to resist.

In the film series “The Matrix,” the Matrix is a simulated reality created by intelligent machines to subdue the human population while their bodies’ energy is harvested. The majority of humanity is unaware that they are living in a simulation, believing the artificial reality to be their actual world. In the film series, there is an excessive amount of fight scenes to symbolize the difficulty of breaking someone out of their indoctrination. They constantly get attacked and have to fight back. For example:

When the main character Neo is being woken up from the Matrix, he’s being taught how to fight and to break the laws of physics, symbolizing flipping the script.

When Neo attempts to dodge the bullets fired by Agent Smith, he fails and gets shot.

Neo later learns to stop bullets.

Neo becomes so skilled at fighting (arguing) that he takes on a massive gang of Agent Smiths.

Words and swords carry the same symbolism in the phrases “the pen is mightier than the sword” and “the tongue is a double-edged sword”.

Words symbolized by violence are often present in poetry, where rappers frequently use words such as “killing” and “murdering” as metaphors for being skilled with words, for being better than their opponent in rap battling, or when making insults. For example, saying “I’m killing you” means “I am better than you.”

Quote from the rap song: “Eminem – Criminal”:

My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge

that’ll stab you in the head, whether you’re a fag or lez.

Words are often symbolized as weapons, especially when emphasizing the accuracy in the use of words, with terms such as “verbal bomb,” “verbal grenade,” “cut like a knife,” and “hit like a bullet.” Having a lot of clever things to say can be referred to as “having a lot of ammunition.”

Words are part of the symbolism of fruit in the Bible. For example, the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden talks about the fruit from the Tree of Life and the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This can be interpreted to mean that there are forbidden words or knowledge, and consuming the forbidden fruit will kill the soul, meaning it will end your fantasizing.

In The Bible, in Proverbs, chapter 15, verse 4, it says: “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” This is such an ironic statement, as using the word “perverseness” is a perverse way of saying that words have been manipulated.

The Bible equating fruit with words:

• In The Bible, in Proverbs, chapter 25, verse 11, it says: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”
• In The Bible, in Proverbs, chapter 18, verse 21, it says: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
• In The Bible, in Luke, chapter 6, verse 43-45, it says: “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
• There is also a well known saying, paraphrasing Matthew, chapter 7, verses 16-20 in Bible: “A person is known by his speech, as a tree is known by its fruit.” What the Bible actually say is: “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Religion:

• Proverb.
• Sacred Word.
• The Word of God.

Religious texts encourage speaking positively and avoiding negative speech:

• Christianity:
  • The Bible: Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
• Islam:
  • The Prophet Muhammad also said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or keep silent.”
  • Guru Granth Sahib: “Words are sacred and should be used to spread love and compassion.”
  • Japji Sahib: “Speak only that which will bring you honor.”
• Buddhism:
  • Buddhism emphasizes “Right Speech” as one of the Noble Eightfold Path. This involves avoiding lying, slander, harsh words, and idle chatter, and instead speaking truthfully, kindly, and meaningfully.
  • Buddha said: “Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.”
• Hinduism:
  • Bhagavad Gita 17:15: “Austerity of speech consists in speaking truthfully and beneficially and in avoiding speech that offends. One should also recite the Vedas regularly.”
  • Rigveda: “Speech is the essence of humanity and the Vedas are the source of speech.”
  • Manusmriti 4.138: “Let him not utter words that are unpleasing to others; let him not utter words that are disagreeable to others.”
• Zoroastrianism:
  • In Avesta, Khorda Avesta 4.10, it says: “Let your words be pure, for pure words lead to pure actions.” Ironically “pure” is a nonsensical word.

This is a form of censorship that prevents understanding what words actually mean. Truth isn’t always positive; truth is often horrible. People shielding themselves from information because they don’t like what’s being said is the most common form of censorship. Even Taoism acknowledges this, though the words used are manipulated. Laozi (Lao Tzu), in Tao Te Ching 81, says: “True words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not true. Good words are not persuasive; persuasive words are not good.”