Is that mother or mutha?...

There I am yesterday, hustling to get out of class before the corridors become impassable and all hope of a quick cappucino before my next meeting is dashed, when an A2 student with the strength and stamina to tag me says, "Julie, you should post this on the blog". So there goes that cappucino, cos I've just passed out with shock. Reading a broadsheet! Identifying articles relevant to the academic study of the English Language! Discussing why they merit blogspace! To the student concerned, you are officially forgiven all former homework crimes (er, though not future ones....) and this post is for you. Requests?? I feel cool as a DJ (not a fat balding one)....

So, check out the link below for the story about the British Council's survey of the world's favourite English word. 40,000 people in 102 non-English speaking countries were asked in a survey to choose their favourite English word. ("Non-English speaking" is obviously an illogical description - like, er, it might have been a teensy bit tricky to do the survey without some English speakers in those countries - but we'll let it pass for now...) This article presents the top 15 words and discusses the findings.

A few of the blacktops ran this story, but the one in the Indy is particularly good because of the range of language issues the writer explores. First up is the curious finding that "mother" is the world's favourite English word. I find this quite surprising. Fond as I am of my mum - see, look, I'm already avoiding "mother"! For me, it's one of those words I only ever use to articulate a sense of power, whether I'm the victim or the perpetrator. If I say "my mother's coming for Christmas" you can guarantee that I will be rolling my eyeballs at the same time. And if I say, as your teacher, "I'm going to ring your mother", you can equally guarantee that I am in an almighty tempestuous strop, which is likely to result in the removal of several of your body parts! I certainly don't see it as a warm, embracing womby word...

Which is interesting, uh? The Indy article writer is attuned to this, and cites a Kings College source who agrees with me. He suggests that the findings would be different in the "English-speaking" countries of the world. So that raises really interesting ideas about English as a global language for a start.

Secondly, the article explores the basis of "favourite" words - is it meaning, or sound, or both? Andrew Motion, our Poet Laureate, explains his liking of the top word by analysing its constituent sounds. Interesting analysis, though all the aural reasons he gives for liking the word are beyond me. I don't know about you, but that "emollient" mmmmm sound at the start bears no resemblance whatsoever to my fiery, feisty mum! What becomes interesting here, arguably, are the ways in which ideas about motherhood vary, and the ways in which we position ourselves towards these linguistically...

So, have a butcher's at the article and then let's have your favourite English words on the comments board. 2 English words - favourite word by meaning, and favourite word by sound. Let's see how close we can get to a survey of 40,000 people!!

Mother... is the most beautiful word in the English language...