Likulli maqāmin maqālun

The Arabic aphorism “Likulli maqāmin maqālun” means “for every place, there is a [proper] remark”: the linguistic etiquette that each occasion necessitates a specific wording, or choice of words.

We speak differently in different situations. Our diction, tone, syntax and sentences are contexualised for effective and meaningful communication. It is called register in linguistics and writing, and is defined as the way grammar, words and expressions are selected for a piece of writing to make it appropriate for its intended context.

Different situations and people call for different registers. We do not speak to our teacher or boss the way we chat with our friends. The tone we use to express our emotions at an office meeting is absolutely different from the one resorted to at a wedding ceremony. In writing too, factors such as context, platform, purpose and audience determine the choice of words to maintain the level of formality to make communication eloquent and proper.

A good dictionary guides us in gauging the appropriateness of words. The dictionary writes various labels that serve as the signage to help us choose the words to be dovetailed into the context. The term ‘Approving’ signifies the words e.g. feisty that emote approval or admiration of the person or situation they are used for, while the ‘Disapproving’ words e.g. abstruse express disapproval or contempt. ‘Approving’ words bear positive connotations while the ‘Disapproving’, negative ones.

Every word has two semantic layers: denotation and connotation. Denotation is the literal or dictionary meanings of the words. For example, the word ‘snake’ in a dictionary will have the denotative meaning of a scaly and legless animal, a reptile. Connotation, on the other hand, refers to the idea that is suggested by or associated with a word. The connotative meaning of a word exists together with the denotative meaning. The connotations for the word ‘snake’ could include evil, danger or someone untrustworthy.

The intriguing thing is that connotations can be positive or negative. For example, the word ‘thin’ can have a positive connotation of ‘smart’ and a negative one of ‘skinny’. Similarly, fat means overweight: plump is its positive connotation while obese, its negative one. The words used in their neutral meaning cramp the reader from locating the nature of connotations. For instance, ‘Proud’ bears both positive and negative connotations of ‘confident’ and ‘arrogant’ consecutively. The maturity that comes along through the process of language acquisition lies in using the exact word exuding positive or negative connotations. The connotations of words can shift creative writing from generic and dull to specific, riveting and lively.

The registers that lend etiquette to our words are the formal and informal registers. Formal words are usually only used in serious, official or academic language, while the informal expressions are meant to be used between friends or in a relaxed or unofficial situation. Generally, formal writing is targeted towards an audience that a person does not personally know. Informal writing may include in-jokes, contractions, abbreviations and local colloquialisms. Admonish and besmirch are formal, while bonkers and dodgy are informal.

Similarly, we cannot say to our teacher in the text message: Hope you are in the pink. In a manner of speaking, informal writing is the T-shirt-and-jeans counterpart to formal writing’s dress coat and pants. Long, intricate sentences joined by transitions are a common feature of formal writing. Shorter sentences that may switch topics suddenly are common in informal writing.

The registers offensive, slang and taboo purely belong to informal language, and their unbitted use can offend the reader. Caution must also be taken against old-fashioned and obsolete words. As Gen Zers have become addicted to digital resources, they mostly consult digital dictionaries which most of the times do not flag words as per their register.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2023.

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