Although humans are primarily defined as language-beings, language-skills do not come naturally to humans, it has to be intentionally developed. Language makes invisible as much as it reveals.
Consider the term 'polysemy' which refers to 'words' having the capacity to possess multiple-related meanings, due to the common application of pre-existing words to new situations. Understanding this characteristic of language is vital for our meaning-making capabilities.
Take for example, the word 'Israel' - It is a 'sign' that possesses many inter-related meanings. Among many meanings here are a few: It began as a proper-name given to Jacob in the OT; it then became the name of a group of tribes that lived in the Middle-east; in the NT the word is used metaphorically to refer to the church as 'New Israel'; from 1947 it is the name given to a newly formed nation-state. Finally, today's headlines uses the word to refer to an army in operation in Gaza. The term possesses many more usages.
Thus 'Israel' is a polysemous term with multiple-related meanings. Understanding polysemy will enable one to not conflate these different usages and thus enable one to draw careful and wise distinctions between what one supports and condemns.
But why is this polysemous characteristic of terms and signs not self-evident? It appears as though language actively hides its polysemous nature, and thus in turn hides the complexities of the world we live in. Understanding polysemy can be seen as one way of harnessing language and subduing it and not allowing it to dictate our existence.
Would not then overcoming-language be a necessary part of being human?
Consider the term 'polysemy' which refers to 'words' having the capacity to possess multiple-related meanings, due to the common application of pre-existing words to new situations. Understanding this characteristic of language is vital for our meaning-making capabilities.
Take for example, the word 'Israel' - It is a 'sign' that possesses many inter-related meanings. Among many meanings here are a few: It began as a proper-name given to Jacob in the OT; it then became the name of a group of tribes that lived in the Middle-east; in the NT the word is used metaphorically to refer to the church as 'New Israel'; from 1947 it is the name given to a newly formed nation-state. Finally, today's headlines uses the word to refer to an army in operation in Gaza. The term possesses many more usages.
Thus 'Israel' is a polysemous term with multiple-related meanings. Understanding polysemy will enable one to not conflate these different usages and thus enable one to draw careful and wise distinctions between what one supports and condemns.
But why is this polysemous characteristic of terms and signs not self-evident? It appears as though language actively hides its polysemous nature, and thus in turn hides the complexities of the world we live in. Understanding polysemy can be seen as one way of harnessing language and subduing it and not allowing it to dictate our existence.
Would not then overcoming-language be a necessary part of being human?
