Slip Of The Tongue

An occasional slip of the tongue ... or a slip of the pen is normal and is quickly forgiven by the person listening or reading... that is ... if they even notice it. Even when they do, most people most of the time will recognize a slip of the tongue or pen for what it is and realize that what you meant to say or write ... is not what you did say or write.

My favorite vlogger is trending again because of her occasional slips that are just too awkward for comfort. She was too elated that former Vice President Atty. Leni Robredo the former nemesis of BBM is too generous with her praises regarding the current administration's handling of the West Philippines Sea.

This time she fanned the embers of controversy when she used UNITEMENT instead of UNITY or UNITED.  She said: "Kritiko ako ni VP Leni noon ...  hindi ko talaga inaasahan na yong mga dating Kakampinks noon ay may hidwaan tayo ... sa ngayon ay nagkaroon tayo ng UNITEMENT." Something to that effect.

Oxford English Dictionary says UNITEMENT is an obsolete word and is not used at present. Proof of that is that if you are going to type unitement ... Grammarly corrects you right away that you are using the wrong word.

The earliest known use of the noun "unitement" is in the mid-1600s.

Oxford English Dictionary's earliest evidence for unitement is from before 1637 ... (almost 4 decades back) in the writing of Nicholas Ferrar, a religious writer, and administrator.

So did our vlogger make some slips of the tongue? Or was it a case of malapropism - cases where an incorrect word is used in a sentence that sounds like the correct word but means something completely different? 

Or was it spoonerism? -  (a situation where a speaker accidentally mixes up the initial sounds or letters of two words in a phrase).

Or our vlogger is just in a state of decline where she fumbles words because of her eagerness to say something ... and becomes oblivious to her use of the language ... grammar ... syntax ... and semantics.

Malapropism

 

We can't help it ... but there are times when we are groping for words ... we start rambling and by the time we know it ... we are already saying things that are wrong in the first place.

Sometimes we also plan and deliberately say the wrong things ... to have a good laugh or get people's attention.

Malapropisms come from the French word mala propio which means inappropriate ... or not fitting. So malapropisms are WRONG words used in place of the RIGHT ones. resulting in nonsensical, sometimes humorous utterances.

No matter what motives we have when using malapropisms... whether intentional or unintentional ... deliberately or accidental ... it comes out sounding funny  ... and humorous.

Looking at the image above how many malapropisms did you see? Let us examine them. Did it make you giggle ... and did it have a comedic intent?

1. Looking for all INTENSIVE PURPOSES - Looking for all INTENTS  and purposes

2. Wolf in CHEAP clothing - wolf in SHEEP clothing

3. Muttering EPITAPHS - muttering EPITHETS

4. Casting DISPERSIONS - casting ASPERSIONS

5. MAGNIFICENT other - SIGNIFICANT other.

6. Who takes him for GRANITE - who takes him FOR GRANTED

Other examples:

1. I might just fade into BOLIVIAN - I might just fade into OBLIVION.

2. The weatherman said" There is a 90 percent chance of PARTICIPATION ..." - There is a 90 percent chance of PRECIPITATION ...

3. The doctor gave me a SUBSCRIPTION for allergies. The doctor gave me PRESCIPTION for allergies.

4. The monster was just a PIGMENT of my imagination - The monster was just a FIGMENT of my imagination.

5. Are you trying to make me an ESCAPE GOAT? Are you trying to make me a SCAPEGOAT?