Relatively Modern For English Language Word example essay topic

There are not that many words in English that can be, without any change in their grammar structure, both a verb, a noun, several slang nouns, and a transitive verb (that is the one that derived form the noun). The verbal meaning of can came to our language from either Old High German kan (in modern German it is kann and has the same meaning as English can) or from Old Englishs cu nnan which meant to know more. If we think for a moment about the meaning of being able to do something as can prescribes us to behave we cannot deny the fact that it must absolutely involve some knowledge of how to do that. Thus I tend to believe that Old Englishs origin of can is more convincing. Since every subjects examination starts with identification and understanding of the matter we start by looking up the word can in the Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary and right away see that it has several meanings.

The first one and the most obvious and common to us all is to be able to do something, to know how to do something. In this context the commonly used synonym of can is may, but often the speaker does not know the exact meanings of two words, which are quite confusing, and mismatches them in his writings or speaking. The controversy of these words usage is in the fact that both express the idea of giving or requesting permission, but at the same time the word can is more concerned with somebody's individual ability to perform a task, while may is a more formal way of dealing with the matter and asks for another party's permission to do something. I would like to stress here that even though both can and may are verbs, they are never used in the indefinite form, meaning that we do not say to may or to can (well, we do but it has a completely another meaning which will be discussed later). For example: we have an option of doing something we can but in order not to break the future course of either action or occurrence we may not do it. Probably this misunderstanding is caused by the fact that word can is a relatively modern for English language word which still has not found its right position in the contemporary phraseological regulations.

Historical studies show that the first recorded usage of can in the same idiomatic meaning as may is dated with 1870, and since then it has undoubtedly taken over may in our everyday usage. We must note that can is more common to use in the negative context (can not) than may. As for me, I have found a good explanation of the difference between can and may while skimming through a book some time ago. The sentence uses the words in somewhat following matter: The teacher in the class told us, that just because we CAN go to the bathroom, we MAY not. To understand the meaning of the words even better I view them to me in the following way: can is a definite intention to do something (I can study well), while may requires some thinking on the subject (I may cross the street here but I dont want to). The American Heritage Dictonary of the English Language suggests us to view the acceptable application of can as a substitution of may only in spoken language.

The grammarians and teachers support the usage of can by the fact that modern day people have learned the idiomatic expressions using can from the early childhood years, like when parents told them: It is only after you clean your room you can go outside and play. Therefore, as a part of everyday spoken language this use of can is perfectly natural. Nevertheless viewing form a more formal use of can versus may only 22 percent of the support the acceptability of can in such a sentence as: Can I use another source in writing of the paper? Here it is suggested that can is replaced with may since it is the other persons decision to allow us to use another source or not.

From that point of view may is a more appropriate verb to use in the official language environment. One more use of can is in the idiomatic form. The phraseologist to be in the can is understood as to be ready for something. I believe it has nothing to do with the noun meaning of can but more with its verb explanation. It is possible to say be in the can when you believe in somebody's ability to act, or somethings readiness. Let us now explore another aspect of the transitive verb can which originates from the noun can (we will get back to noun examination).

In our language can also means: to preserve a physical matter in a hermetically sealed container. The word was born in 1861, it is probably then when people invented the technological process of conservation of the food or any other quickly spoiling good. And since the noun can a storage vessel, usually a cylindrical receptacle - already existed, there were no need of creating a new noun describing the act of preservation, so we began naming this process canning. Can is also often used in the form of the slang noun that can mean jail, because of the similarity of a can as a container, and jail as the environment, which preserves the society from the affects of the convicts. Sometimes can describes the toilet, bathroom.

But since the word toilet is more often understood in the meaning of a dress, it is suggested not to use can with the intent to naming the bathroom. The modern day creation of the meaning of can includes an ounce of marijuana. None of the dictionaries I viewed gave me an explanation on why it is so. As we can see now the word can is a very interest word to examine, and it will become even more interesting with the flow of time. Our language is changing fast, many words that were popular recently became archaic today, and who knows maybe in the future the word can will completely replace may in otis usage.

Untill then the dictionaries and agree on the fact that both words have their unique meanings and application in our language.