Why English Has So Many Synonyms
In English, there is never only one way to say something. People can ask, inquire, or question. Slurping hot soup on a cold winter day might make one feel cozy, homey, snug, or comfortable. When first assessing the usage of these words, it may seem redundant to use various terms to communicate the same message. However, the wide range of synonyms in the English language is shaped by a past, a long past that encompasses various languages, cultures, and governing structures, all kept intact within one language system.
Hundreds of years ago, Germanic languages were brought to England by Anglo-Saxon settlers, forming the English language. This is where many of the most common words in English originate from: food, child, house, and work. Yet, English began to integrate various vocabularies from different languages, and this absorption heightened specifically during times of social and political change. Amongst these times of change, one of the most important was during the 1066 Norman invasion, in which French became the dominant language of the ruling class in England. For years, English and French were both prominent languages that existed beside each other, yet they remained unequal in social standing. The French language dominated in areas of governance, wealth, power, and prestige, whereas English served as the language of the common people. Thus, when France expanded its power across parts of England, pieces of the French language were implemented within English.
This implementation still exists today, as English has a multitude of ways in order to convey the same idea, yet each carries a slight distinction in terms of tone and overall atmosphere. Germanic words often come across as simple and concise, whereas French and Latin variants feel more formal and orderly. Ask and inquire, help and assist, freedom and liberty; synonyms like these directly illustrate how various groups and communities spoke differently throughout history, and how those differences carried meaning socially. Words like kingly, regal, and royal display this pattern further. Kingly stems from English, regal originates from Latin, and royal derives from French. Each of these words resembles a sense of superiority and power within a nation; however, when used today, they may come across differently in slight ways, due to their connotation or tone. Therefore, what may seem like the choice to use certain words at specific times actually reflects how specific historical events that led to social alteration ingrained themselves into modern-day language.
Yet, synonyms are never exact carbon copies of each other. Words that can be used interchangeably contain several nuances that differentiate them from other words in regard to tone or implication. For instance, referring to someone as slim is not the same as calling them skinny, and demanding something is not the same as asking something. These subtleties, although sometimes imperceptible, demonstrate how language shapes the way in which individuals convey information and how that information is perceived by others. Having multiple words to describe similar ideas gives individuals the freedom to choose the manner in which they want to express their thoughts, whether it be through adjusting tone, intention, or formality, without changing the inherent meaning of what they want to say.
It is crucial to remember where words used in our day-to-day lives originate from. Each word in the English dictionary represents a compilation of the various powers throughout history that implemented parts of their own linguistic practices into the still-growing English language. Each word’s origin gives it a certain nuance in which individuals can pick and choose between synonyms depending on the tone or manner in which they wish to convey their message. So, when one opens up a thesaurus and comes across 15 synonyms for the word “grow,” it is important to remember how each one of those words has a specific background, an origin specific to that word that progressed into the English spoken today.
