I really agree Hornsby's emphasis on the involvement of speaker as a crucial factor in concerning question about the meaning of a word in a given sentence. I take his investigation as a way to give objections to views that regard meanings of word as independent to the speaker. Moreover, I also think his account that address the use of derogatory word as a gesture that requires a interpreter to grasp captures the main point that "practice of language ... [is not] a heartless mechanical affair (141)."
I regard his point as highlighting the natural use of language as a means of perform exchange of ideas and emotions between different individuals. Yet it captures only one perspective of language, language can also be used as a way of describe and recording things, and the origin of derogatory words may rest here. Therefore, even derogatory words have various perspectives, and it may be the case that some derogatory words indeed have another life in describing and recording other than merely producing a gesture.
In this way, I think Hornsby's account regard derogatory words would be more concise if he shows enough awareness of how some special derogatory words can be used neutrally and how some words can occasionally be used as derogatory words.
I agree with your ideas about how the meaning of words and if they are derogatory or not can depend on how they are used. However, I don't think this applies for a lot of these words because even if they are not used to mean something hurtful, the word itself still carries the history and the hate that it was previously used as (even if you are not using it in this way.) I wonder what the line is between derogatory words that are socially acceptable to use in a non-hurtful way and those that are not?
ReplyDeleteFirst off, thanks for clarifying my misinterpretation.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I believe you are right in saying that Hornsby can be more concise by showing how some derogatory words can be used neutrally and how certain words that aren't usually derogatory can be used in a derogatory manner. On that point of using regular words derogatorily I think Hornsby would say that it is because of the gesture/expression of how that word is conveyed that the hearer interprets as derogatorily expressed. I believe that saying something like "You're a chair!" can sound funny if used in that way but can also be an insult by the expressed/gesture behind it. (Maybe that insult means people sit on you, idk) Correct me if i'm wrong.
--Henry Tran