In a topsy-turvy start to today's entry, my muse actually visited me on the walk to uni, rather than on the way back. Just as well really, as it was positively tipping it down on the way back and I was devoting my attention wholeheartedly to keeping my hood on my head and my eyes on the road for puddles.

This week has seen my stress levels go from the extremes of quadruple figures to a nice, normal, uni-induced but altogether acceptable simmer. I'm sure the word 'deadlines' speaks a thousand words to most people. Well I had three. Anyway, the topic of this entry is not deadlines so to speak, but one deadline in particular.

At the risk of rewriting my essay, probably ten times worse, I found the topic of ecolinguistics of greater interest by the end of the essay than at first glance. The whole basis of the module was whether the way we talk about something shapes the way we perceive it. The argument of some of these ecolinguistics was that the English language, from word choice right down to grammatical structure, was encouraging an indifference or even an acceptance of the current state of the environment. For example, 'harvesting timber' wrongly suggests that the lumberjacks have a right to take the wood as a reward for their hard work. Instead, people should be encouraged to call it...I dunno...decapitating ancient leafy organisms? Ok so that's an exaggeration, but you know what I mean.

Now, I don't know about you, but this call for a restructuring of the language to consciously shape people's perceptions of reality reaks suspiciously of Mr. Orwell's Nineteen-eighty-four. Linguists may be right when they say that the way we talk about something shapes our view of the subject, but are these linguists in the position to change the language? As spokespersons for the environment, some could argue that these linguists have not only the right, but the responsibility, to apply the breaks to human apathy before it's too late.

But can language really be controlled like that? Nineteen-eighty-four seems to be testament that there will be always some that break free from the rule. Obviously, the story didn't end well for the protagonist, but I'm hoping that in reality, the ruling ecolinguists won't treat offenders in the same way! The mind is an old organ that should not be underestimated. I don't think that changing a few words can really change people's perceptions. It can only be through communication that people can be influenced. And then maybe language will change accordingly. Language has changed almost beyond recognition over the history of its existence and I have every faith that it will continue to change. But it will change how and when it wants to. We are merely users of language. No one is ever truly master of it.