Changing Negatives to Positives

I made a statement recently, and it got my attention for several reasons.

1. It spoke truth;
2. pointed out a missing element;
3. the way we speak shows volumes about how we use language – often incorrectly.

What did I say? “I ain’t got nobody.” What was I trying to say? There’s no one (family) to call on to do some work around the house. At least, no one could be here without some significant planning.

Mom and dad had three boys they could call upon back in the day. To this day, we still call on each other for help in certain areas. But living way off, as we’ve done (35+ years in the Pacific NW), I’ve had few around that I could call on to help me accomplish a task I’m not suited to do, such as crawling through attics, walking the roofline, lifting some heavy objects, or repairing something. I’m getting too old for most of these tasks.

I can’t undo the first two items at this stage in the game, but I can do something about the third one.

How we use language speaks volumes about who we are.

I ain’t got nobody.

Contractions. They exist everywhere. Most of us don’t think about it. We use them out of place and out of time. Incorrectly and we still believe we are communicating positively!

Can’t. I’d. He’d. They’re. They’ve. I’ve. Would’ve. Could’ve. Didn’t.
This could be a lengthy list, I ‘spose.

Ain’t is essentially “am not, are not, is not, has not, have not, do not, does not.” Wow! Who knew?

Not in any particular order, ain’t is one of those made-up contracted non-standard words we use more and more. It has history back into the 1600s from a Scottish/Irish contraction amn’t, meaning am not. It is said “amn’t” is even used today, but I confess I’ve never heard it.

We take these words and make them part of our everyday speaking. Then, because we speak them, they show up in writings where we try to imitate how someone talks. They go against the purity of the language and are viewed as something ordinary people use. When you break them down and replace them with the standard English words, the result is in question because we can’t do the math. Yes. Math. Language follows specific rules and knows the boundaries of good grammar so we can make a thought come to life in print.

In language, we’ve learned that a sentence that contains a double negative will cancel itself out, and the result is positive.

Example: Can’t never could do nothing.

Break it out: Can not never could do nothing. Notice all the negatives! What does this mean?

“Can” and “Could” are positives, but “not, never, and nothing” are negatives—simple math. The negatives win! By order, “not and never” cancel themselves out. The result? “I can do nothing.”

But, what if you changed the word to “anything.” The same math is applied, but now the positives win! “I can do anything.” Right? Simple math eliminates the unnecessary.

Our Language Is Not Stable

When you are speaking ‘off the cuff, you are conversing extemporaneously. With very little practice or forethought, you talk from your position and knowledge, enunciating words with ease…until we need to speak faster.

Fast-talking! Talking fast may be the source of many of our contractions. “Would have” becomes “would’ve” either by a speaking style, speed, or the way someone may stumble through a phrase when communicating.

But think about it from another place. The hybrid language we call English is a combination of many languages long before we even thought about it. Hundreds of years ago. Middle English. Old English. Gaelic. Anglo Saxon. Latin. Throw in some romance languages! Then, we wonder how to spell and pronounce. Where and when to use, and how do we define the root and usage of the word?

The list is almost endless of the growth of our language to this modern-day version we communicate through.

Language is a constantly evolving animal!

A few years ago, teaching an online theology class, someone turned in a paper with “text speak.” You know—full of abbreviations and slang used in the world limited by 144 characters. IDK, IMO, and other such “words” were used throughout the paper. They wrote it on their phone, emailed it to themselves, and sent it through the system as a Word document. They bypassed all the writing instructions provided.

What would you do?

I’ve learned that I’m nothing if I cannot understand spoken or written words. From shouters to whisperers, fast to slow, slang to standard, language A to language B, cultural speak, idiomatic, old to young ears, and all those in between. What else?

Regardless of what you may say, you cannot guarantee anyone else will understand you.

How do you communicate if no one comprehends?

We are told to try and understand who’s on the other side and then speak so they will understand. We are seldom told to try and understand from a different speaking style than what we do naturally. It could be either way is insulting.

From the highfalutin to the low-brow, language must blend to reach as many as possible. Reducing misunderstanding must be the key. Young ears are walking through a minefield of differences. From their techno, text, slang, and modern communication styles, they find it a challenge to talk to someone like me with the 50s-60s mindset of language that I grew up with. We are talking 60+ years of language differences! You dig? (Grammarly doesn’t like that sentence!)

We have no middle ground.

There is no middle ground. We cannot get everyone up to a particular language, nor can we make everyone understand the evolving language.

Language from any day struggles with finding a middle ground where everyone can comprehend.

It’s like several I know who would not dream of owning a computer that forces them to adapt to the modern world. Others even stay away from social platforms. Why? Besides being forced to adapt, they find no value.

That’s the key for me. We find no value in learning from another’s perspective unless we have a middle ground.

Apply to Old Writings

First, I’ve changed my reading and teaching from King James to the New King James. I cannot blindly accept any translation without first comparing it to the foundation of my life. King James is the leading English production that survived into my time period. It has been recognized as foundational.

Since it was first produced, language has continued to evolve. So has the KJV version. If you compare the original 1611 edition to the modern version you have sitting on a bookshelf, you would see the differences. Spelling, punctuation, words usage, etc. It’s slowly updated to become the version we are comfortable with.

Side Note: Back in 1611, the English alphabet was smaller than it is today. What did not exist? J, U, and W. To create the sounds, the letters were made, and what existed was updated so we would recognize the written word easier. The letter “V” was used as the letter “U” and when we needed a “W” they joined two “V’s” together and called it a “double U.”

Our modern version of English has been through many updates over the centuries!

Yet, between the KJV and the original languages and documents, we see various differences.

• The original language is vastly different. Ancient words and ideas are translated into words and ideas we know and use today. Ancient words may be more descriptive in light of some sensibilities that exist in our modern times.
• There was no punctuation, capitalization, chapters or verses in the original writing.
• No single ancient document contains all the books we recognize in our Bible.

There are probably more things to consider, but these come to mind right now.

Something happens to me when I read the Words of Jesus.

If I could hear Jesus speak in the language of His day, I would have no clue what he is saying. Aramaic. Greek. Hebrew. There are many variations on the language He could have used and probably did use depending on the audience. The language of choice for writing the New Testament was Greek for a variety of reasons. [Source] It Sounds like the times were multi-cultural!

Consider John 6. Jesus has been teaching what I like to think of as the predecessor topic of Holy Communion. In verse 22, the writer records his discourse about him being the “Bread of Life.” It isn’t clear and will possibly not be understood until you experience The Last Supper. He compares their knowledge of manna (hundreds of years before their modern experience) and applies it to his teaching that day.

Then he says something profound.

The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 
John 6:63, NKJV

Spirit. Greek pneuma. – a current or breath of air. The same word is used nearly 400 times in the New Testament and is found in every book except for 2 John and 3 John – two of the shortest letters written by one of the original twelve disciples.

Life. Greek zoe – life, as in from a foundation of live. This word is used nearly 200 times in almost all the New Testament.

Jesus is saying His Words are essential! They “are” spirit and life. We are filled with His Spirit and walk in His Life. This changes my perspective. My goal is to walk and talk like Him. What’s His perspective? Read His words! Apply His Words. Adapt me to Him, even with my cultural, ethnic, racial, and socio-economic norms.

He may say something you do not understand, but when you garner His perspective, then you are part of his Spirit and Life! It’s all about Him. In this Negative world, He speaks Positive!