Content and Meaning

It's All in the Delivery

Sometimes a word carries much more meaning than what can be found in a common dictionary. In our English language, meanings can be found in more than just a definition. We find meaning and intention within our voice inflection and context. There are also many alternate meanings that can be found with words used within a specific culture or society.

As a general rule, we are cautioned against using words or phrases that can be offensive to specific genders, races, and cultures when addressing others in print and by spoken word. But is it always possible to avoid offending another while expressing our own opinions?

The subject of offensive language is something that I never spent time thinking about. But that was before I moved to a Spanish community far from home. I found myself facing uncomfortable giggles and silences on a daily basis. At first, I believed this was because my latino friends thought my clumsy use of Spanish was endearing or "cute". Not so!

Later, I came to realize the mistakes I had made in my ignorance. When speaking with friends about family, I would regularly ask them about "su madre". Literally, in Spanish, this phrase means "your mother". Later, I was very embarrassed to learn that every time I referred to a friend's mother as "su madre", I was referring to their mother as a whore. A simple mistake, but offensive enough for others to find it uncomfortable to address my misuse of a colloquialism.

Some of my friends saw my mistake for what it was, a simple misunderstanding of the local use of the phrase "su madre". They saw it as a simple mistake and gave it little thought or concern. However, by and large, my friends were bilingual as well, and had grown accustomed to the daily routine of offending others.

The best example of this misunderstanding is found in children. Youngsters are often found explaining themselves after saying something they may not completely understand. Sometimes this can be due to misunderstanding of vocabulary, or simply not understanding the weight of the words they use. It was one of these children that informed me of my error, which was now making a daily appearance in my conversations with other Spanish speakers.

I approached a young girl who was about 4 years old. She asked me where my mother lived, what kind