keannu
VIP Member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2010
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Korean
- Home Country
- South Korea
- Current Location
- South Korea
Does "big words" mean "imbricate" or "having the edges overlapping.."? Depending on what it is, the whole paragraph will become quite different to readers. It's quite confusing!!!
ex)One of the little understood paradoxes in communication is that the more difficult the word, the shorter the explanation. The more meaning you can pack into a single word, the fewer words are needed to get the idea across. Big words are resented by persons who don’t understand them and, of course, very often they are used to confuse and impress rather than clarify. But this is not the fault of language; it is the arrogance of the individual who misuses the tools of communication. The best reason for acquiring a large vocabulary is that it keeps you from being long-winded.
A genuinely educated person can express himself tersely and trimly. For example, if you don’t know, or use, the word ‘imbricate,’ you have to say to someone, ‘having the edges overlapping in a regular arrangement like tiles on a roof, scales on a fish, or sepals on a plant.’ More than 20 words to say what can be said in one.
ex)One of the little understood paradoxes in communication is that the more difficult the word, the shorter the explanation. The more meaning you can pack into a single word, the fewer words are needed to get the idea across. Big words are resented by persons who don’t understand them and, of course, very often they are used to confuse and impress rather than clarify. But this is not the fault of language; it is the arrogance of the individual who misuses the tools of communication. The best reason for acquiring a large vocabulary is that it keeps you from being long-winded.
A genuinely educated person can express himself tersely and trimly. For example, if you don’t know, or use, the word ‘imbricate,’ you have to say to someone, ‘having the edges overlapping in a regular arrangement like tiles on a roof, scales on a fish, or sepals on a plant.’ More than 20 words to say what can be said in one.