Literature
One reason I consider myself to be a "word geek" is my interest in the usage of words in our everyday speech as compared to the dictionary definition of the word.
I find more often than not the shades of meaning we associate with certain words are not as obvious when we look up our word's synonyms in a thesaurus.
One word I was thinking about recently was "literature."
In common daily use, we use it to refer to great, important, classic, older books. Shakespeare is literature. The Iliad is literature. Beowulf is literature. In this usage, none of my favorite romance novels are literature.
The dictionary supports this definition. Per dictionary.com: "1. writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays."
Yep. Shakespeare. The Iliad. Beowulf.
We also use the word to refer to pamphlets and other little promotional or informational publications. The definition is: "6. any kind of printed material, as circulars, leaflets, or handbills: literature describing company products."
I had this thought when I was at work doing a new activation for a mobile phone. As part of my job and common sense, I reminded to the store rep to recommend insurance for the new phone. When the customer declines, I have to tell them that the customer has 30 days to add insurance. Because I often get bored hearing myself say the same things, to change it up while complementing the rep, I said "I know you'll send them home with literature on the insurance."
That statement out of my own lips got me thinking about the duality of the word as we use it in day to day English.
A single sheet folded in half printed with information about insuring a mobile phone or sales information about a truck bed liner is literature.
Writing considered worthy of academic study is also considered literature. In fact another usage of the word is "the humanistic study of a body of literature; "he took a course in Russian lit."
No wonder English is considered one of the most difficult languages to become fluent in.
Comments