Writing isn't always the easiest business, especially where the English language is concerned. There's an old joke that, while other languages borrow words and rules, English chases other languages down dark alleys, knocks them unconscious, then goes through their pockets for loose grammar. There's likely any number of good reasons for this, not least of which is that the British Isles have known wave after wave of invasions, from Celts to Saxons to Vikings to Normans and so on. Old English, if you listen to one of the few people who speak it, sounds very German, and English was originally a Germanic language, but now it carries a heavy Latin influence.
Here's the thing, though; most of those changes happened gradually, spanning a couple of generations. Lately, we've been seeing terms and rules change more rapidly. And as advocates, in speaking or in writing, we have to be careful; there's an old saying about war that applies to spoken/written debate: Never willingly cede ground to the enemy.
There are a couple of things to watch out for: Semantic infiltration and the drift of the signifieds.
Semantic infiltration is the process of undermining one's argument by adopting the language and terms used by opponents. This results in a loss of clarity, meaning, and even purpose. Some examples:
"Transgender woman." No. There is, yes, such a thing as gender dysphoria; it has been known about for decades and has traditionally been handled with therapy. But a "transgender woman" is a man, and should be referred to as such - and not allowed on women's sports teams or in women's restrooms and changing rooms.
"Undocumented migrants." No. These are illegal aliens. They are in the country illegally; they are not citizens or legal residents. "Undocumented" makes it sound like they just stepped outside without their wallets, when in fact, they are breaking the law just by their presence.
"Assault rifle." No. An assault rifle is, by definition, a select-fire weapon. The left and the legacy media (but I repeat myself) use this term to describe any semi-automatic rifle with scary black furniture, and the fact that they never break a sweat over functionality-identical weapons that lack black plastic and bayonet lugs puts the lie to this term.
"Progressive." No. The people who identify themselves as such are not interested in progress, unless it's progress along the road to socialism. There is no progress in the left's agenda, only regression; regressions to a more authoritarian time, regression to a time when energy was lower-density, less affordable and less reliable; regression to authoritarianism, when they will tell us what we are allowed to say, where we are allowed to live, and what/if we are allowed to drive.
When we use these terms, we are ceding ground to the enemy.
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There's another phenomenon, and it's more slippery: The drift of the signifieds. This is when a symbol remains the same, but the meaning of the symbol changes, usually, but not always, over time. Some examples:
The word "gay." This used to be used as a synonym for "happy" and/or "carefree," even sometimes as "reckless abandon," as in "Don't get gay with me!" Now, of course, we know what it means in our modern vernacular; the word has been co-opted.
The red flag of the Soviet Union, which began as a symbol of anarchic rebellion and ended as a symbol of authoritarianism and mindless conformity.
The word "awful," upon a time, meant "worthy of awe," whereas now it has just the opposite meaning: something worthy of contempt or scorn.
There's a key difference in these two phenomena.
Understanding the drift of the signified is important in speaking and writing clearly and unambiguously; one has to use words in their modern context to be plainly understood. Using the words "gay" or "silly" in their original sense may well lead to a serious failure to communicate.
But semantic infiltration is something we need to refuse to engage in or allow our opponents in debate to do.As the late, great Rush Limbaugh used to say, "Words mean things." Languages change over time, and always will, but that doesn't mean that in a political debate, we should allow sloppiness or obfuscation. Use words precisely. Use language precisely. Do not let the left dictate the terms of the discourse. Do not let the left dictate the language.
Men are men. Illegal aliens are illegal aliens. Semiautomatic rifles are semiautomatic rifles, and "progressives" are socialists. Never the twain shall meet.
Language should be used clearly, concisely, and most of all, correctly. Don't cede the linguistic high ground. Don't allow the opposition to define the terms of the engagement. It's a trap that, when speaking or writing, we all should be conscious of.
