Know Your English (June 2001)

Know your English

``WHAT ARE all those old magazines doing on the table?''

``My cousin from Delhi is here. He couldn't sleep last night. So he spent his time reading.''
``He likes to read, does he?''
``Oh, yes. He is a voracious reader.''
``Vor...what?''
``V..o..r..a..c..i..o..u..s. The `o' in the first syllable is like the `a' in `china'. The `a' in the second syllable is pronounced like the `ay' in `ray', `bay', and `say'.''
``The final `iou' is like the `a' in `china' again, right?''
``Exactly! The `c' by the way is like the `sh' in `sheet', `sheep', and `ship'. And the stress is on the second syllable. Any idea what the word means?''
``Voracious! Doesn't it mean truthful?''
``No, you are thinking of another word. When you say that someone is a voracious reader it means that the person loves to read lots of books. The person is very eager or hungry for knowledge, information...''
``....good grief! You mean there are people who are eager for knowledge? They must be in the minority, though. Anyway, how does this example sound? Mohan is a voracious reader of mystery novels.''
``Sounds good. The word can be used to refer to one's appetite as well. For example...''
``...it probably means someone who loves to eat. Someone who has a good appetite.''
``Excellent. That's exactly what it means. When you say that someone has a voracious appetite it implies that he/she eats large quantities of food. He/she is greedy to eat. For example, though Karhtick looks skinny he has a voracious appetite.''
``How about this example? Some of the kids in my class have voracious appetites.''
``That's a good example. Now, tell me...''
``...what was the word that I was thinking of?''
``What?''
``Well, when I said voracious means truthful, you said that I was thinking of another word. Which word....''
``....oh that! The word that you probably had in mind was `veracious'.''
``What?''
``This word is spelt v..e..r..a..c..i..o..u..s. According to many dictionaries it's pronounced the same way as `voracious'.''
``It is? Then how does a listener know which word the speaker is....''
``....the context will tell you whether the speaker means `voracious' or `veracious'.''
``I see. But tell me, what does the `veracious' mean?''
``When you say that someone is `veracious' it means the person is habitually truthful. It's a word that is generally used in formal contexts.''
``Someone who tells the truth all the time! I don't think I have met such a person. It's definitely not a quality that we expect in our politicians.''
``An honest politician is a bit of a contradiction. Anyway, here's an example. The veracious Vice Chancellor had a voracious appetite for vanilla ice cream.''
``We listened to the testimony of my veracious cousin.''
``My neighbour is not known for his veracity.''
``Meaning that he is not known for his truthfulness.''
``That's right.''
``Politicians are not known for their veracity. And...''
``.... before you start giving me a lecture on politicians, any news about your neighbour's son?''
``Yes, they found him at the city bus stand. He was trying to run away from home.''
``Why? What was his problem?''
``God only knows. He said that he wanted to be independent from his parents.''
``Why would anybody want to be independent of their parents? I mean....''
``....he wanted to be independent from them because....''
``....independent of, not from.''
``I see. Most teenagers want to be independent of their parents.''
``That's true. My sister wanted to be financially independent of my parents by the time she turned sixteen.''
``Did she become independent of them?''
``Not really. She had to wait another six years.''
``I don't want to be independent of my parents at all. In fact, I think I will be dependent of my father as long as possible.''
``That's a good idea. I am not really sure if your father will put up with you for long. By the way, it's `independent of', but `dependent on' or `dependent upon'.''
``Dependent on, eh? How about this example? Some of the up and coming actors are dependent on drugs.''
``Most children are dependent upon their parents for food and shelter.''
``That's true. We are dependent on tankers for our water supply.''
``Indeed. There was a time when people used to take water for granted.''
``Well, even now many people take it for granted. Which is why so many people waste it so much.''
``It's such a pity.''
``Well, I'd better get going. I seem to have developed a voracious appetite for....''
``...we all know that you have a voracious appetite. What we want to know is when you are going to become a voracious reader. You know ....''
``...I can give you the answer right now. NEVER!''
* * * * *
``When I give a lecture, I accept that people look at their watches, but what I do not tolerate is when they look at it and raise it
to their ear to find out if it has stopped.'' - Marcel Achard


Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, June19, 2001