This week I ran one of my favourite MSB Executive masterclasses, Great Written Communications. I have a deep background as a linguist, and it’s fun to share my passion for language in general and the English language in particular.

One tip I share for clear, concise writing in English is to ‘watch the Latinisms’. What do I mean by this?

German vs. Latin

English has a dual personality. From around 400AD, the dominant cultures in England were the Anglo-Saxons. Their language, the language of Bede and Beowulf (a language I studied during my English degree) had its roots in their Germanic and Frisian homelands.

In 1066 the Normans arrived, bringing with them the Frenchified Latin they used for formal and religious affairs. Over the next few hundred years, their Latin was established as the language of aristocracy and officialdom, while lower down the social order, people continued to use the old words. The classic illustration of this duality is in food words: the dainty, aristocratic meat on the plate – ‘pork’, a French word – versus the earthy, peasantlike beast in the field – ‘swine’, a German word. See also beef/cow; mutton/sheep.

Latinisms in Modern English

Modern English still offers us this choice between a Latin word and its Germanic synonym. The occasional Latinism is fine, and sometimes the Latin word is the only correct one. “But all other things being equal,” I advise, “prefer the German”.

The reason is that Latin words tend to be polysyllabic and rather cumbersome. If they are overused, writing becomes dry and stodgy. Their German equivalents tend to be punchier and more evocative. They give sentences drive and sparkle.

Quiz!

Below are Latinised versions of familiar proverbs. Can you work out the originals? (Answers below.)

1. “It is fruitless to indoctrinate a superannuated canine with innovative manoeuvres.”
2. “It is futile to become lachrymose over precipitately departed lacteal fluids.”

Apply Common Sense

Needless to say, my advice comes with caveats (sorry, admonitions… no, sorry, warnings!). In many cases the Latin and the German are not exact synonyms, and the nuances of the Latin might well make it the better choice. It’s also worth noting that German itself can be a tediously polysyllabic language. The clunky portmanteau word I will always remember from school is the German for hovercraft: Luftkissenflugzeug (literally, “air-cushion-fly-thing”). I assure you that this is only one fairly modest example among many.

Answers!

1. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
2. It’s no use crying over spilt milk.