Just Saying...

Mark Towers, Akumen's Lead Language Analyst, shares with us the significance of language in the work we do behind the scenes. Mark specialises in analysing language to uncover the deeper emotional and psychological layers within workplace communication. His role focuses on identifying key words and phrases in discourse — whether spoken or written — to support sentiment analysis, employee surveys, and mental health initiatives. He is particularly interested in how subconscious feelings are revealed through word choice, and how these insights can help organisations foster more supportive, responsive environments. 

English, the most widely spoken language in the world with 1.53 billion speakers, is a hybrid language. It is the lingua franca of scientific research, education, aviation, diplomacy, and the internet. Being that it is a hybrid language, it is difficult to learn as it is often inconsistent in its spelling and grammar.

It is a magpie language that has incorporated many words from other languages, such as cul-de-sac (French), safari (Swahili), kindergarten (German), robot (Czech), tsunami (Japanese), and avatar (Sanskrit). Yet, the predominant influences on English are the northern European Germanic words that arrived in England via the Anglo-Saxons and the Latinate vocabulary that arrived through Norman French and other Romance languages from southern Europe.

When analysing the discourse of diverse groups and populations it is interesting to examine the choice of the words used. It can give insight beyond simply the meaning of the words:

• Germanic words are often shorter; many only have a single syllable. They are more direct and emotionally resonant. Generally, used in everyday speech and persuasive rhetoric.

• Latinate words tend to be longer, formal, and abstract. Often used in legal, academic, and bureaucratic settings.

• Germanic discourse will feel more trustworthy and sincere whereas Latinate speakers may sound superior and intellectual.

  
  

  Groups such as lawyers, politicians and marketeers are aware of these differences and will adjust their discourse depending on the audience in order to influence perception.

Example

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien is an example of a book where the author deliberately chose to use Germanic-rooted English to suggest a sense of place. Due to copyright restrictions, text from the book cannot be reproduced here, but here is a paragraph in the style of Tolkien.

The wind whispered through the ancient trees, and the golden leaves danced upon the oozy forest floor. Frodo the hobbit stood still, listening to the hush of twilight, his heart heavy with the burden of the Ring. A shadow moved beyond the hill, fleeting and silent, like a memory half-forgotten. Sam drew closer, his hand on the hilt of his blade for comfort, eyes searching the gloom for signs of danger.

There are 45 Germanic words in this paragraph and 3 Latinate words. The three Latinate words are ‘oozy’ derived from udus, meaning moist or wet, comfort from confortare meaning to strengthen or console and Hobbit, invented by Tolkien but using a Latinate structure.

In comparison, this paragraph is inspired by the popular fiction.

The expedition commenced with deliberate coordination, traversing the desolate terrain beneath an oppressive atmosphere. Illumination from the celestial sphere diminished, obscured by stratified vapours. Each participant maintained composure, their objectives articulated with precision and reinforced by mutual obligation. The culmination of their endeavour promised revelation — an unprecedented synthesis of knowledge and power.

This paragraph uses 27 Latinate words and 7 Germanic words (the, with, from, by, each, their, and, of).

The second Latinate example allows for precise and nuanced meaning, which is useful for complex and abstract ideas but slows down comprehension and emotional immediacy.

The emotional resonance of the first paragraph also uses more idiomatic language, such as ‘danced upon the forest floor.’ This encourages the reader to overlay their own mental version of the scene, producing a more personal experience. Understandably, prose that uses shorter words is often used by adults to read to children, this also suggests that language style is evocative of childhood experiences and visceral imagery. It is easier to process and digest.

This extract from Hansel & Gretel uses 61 Germanic words and only 8 Latinate words. It is simple, vivid and emotionally engaging.

Hansel and Gretel were the children of a poor woodcutter. One day, their stepmother decided to abandon them in the forest. Hansel, who was very clever, overheard their plan and collected white pebbles to leave a trail. The next day, the woodcutter took them deep into the forest and left them there. Hansel dropped the pebbles along the way, and when the moon rose, they followed the shining stones back home.

In conclusion, as a speaker or a listener it is important to understand why the specific words and style are selected by the composer and what is going on between the lines of the discourse. Organisations with an important message should communicate their message in a way that's right for their audience.

Just saying….