Roland ‘Roly’ Sussex is an Emeritus Professor of Languages at the University of Queensland (UQ) and has been broadcasting language segments on ABC Radio in Queensland every week for 24 years (and in South Australia for 20 years). He has chaired the Board of the State Library of Queensland and the Alliance Fran aise of Brisbane, and is currently President of the English Speaking Union (Queensland).
Today, Roly Sussex is on the blog to answer a few of our questions about his new book, Word for Today – the best bits of his popular radio program of the same name collected in book form. Read on!
Roly Sussex
Tell us about your book, Word for Today!
RS: Word for Today is a collection of some of the nearly 700 pieces I have written and recorded for ABC radio. These “woofties” (Word For Today) are 2-3 minute reflexions on words, grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, usage and the delightful oddness and sometimes crankiness of English, especially English in Australia, which is famous for being exceptionally creative, colourful, informal and distinctive.
How did you come to be interested in language?
RS: My grandfathers were both ministers of religion, my father a professor of French, and my mother a writer and artist. We used, exercised, played with and rejoiced in language from as l can remember. I started languages other than English at age 12 (French, Latin, Russian), then German, then I studied in Prague (Czech), then married a Pole (so of course I acquired Polish).
You’ve been a longtime observer of the evolution of language. What fascinates you the most about how we use language today in comparison to how we’ve used it in the past?
RS: Several things. First, when I was growing up in Melbourne (I was born in 1945), the prestige model accents, especially in the media, were British. We had a love-hate relationship with British English. Why wasn’t Australian English good enough? I left Australia in 1956 to live in New Zealand, then Europe. When I returned in 1974 Australian English was filling all these roles. One of my great regrets is that I was overseas and didn’t see how the change came about.
And second, at school I was taught English and grammar as if they were set in stone (I didn’t start to understand English grammar until I started French and Latin and Russian). But all around me English, and especially Australian English, was cheerfully doing creative things which didn’t fit the rules. I want to show people that English, and grammar, are marvellous puzzles in motion, and everyone can understand and appreciate them.
Are there any grammar rules that you think have become obsolete?
RS: We were taught at school not to end sentences with prepositions, not to split infinitives, not to start sentences with “and” or “but”, and so on. Absolute rubbish. These are all part of the proper nature of English, and the ”rules” were invented, mainly in the 18c, by people trying to make English behave like Latin, which was a prestigious language with a long established pedigree. Bad idea.
What is your favourite little-known language fact?
RS: About 75% of the vocabulary of English comes from other languages (French, Latin, Greek …). We are the ultimate mongrel language. But that doesn’t stop us being speaking and writing a language that we happily identify with as English. English is also the biggest language that there has ever been.
Is there a word that’s fallen out of use that you particularly love?
RS: There are many. Perhaps “bonzer” (ultimately from Spanish “bonanza”), which for me is much more meaningful than something like “awesome”). But that betrays my age.
Why do you think we could benefit from having a better and deeper understanding of words and their origins?
RS: Every speaker of English is a master user of the material and rules of English. But we often aren’t aware of this complex knowledge which we exercise in speaking, writing and understanding. I am fascinated by the material of English (sounds, grammar, words) and how they are used together. Knowing where a word comes from and how it has evolved can help provide a richer understanding of what we are doing when we speak and write.
Two examples.
“Nice” comes from Latin “nescius”, meaning “ignorant”. Over the years it came to be less pejorative, and meant “innocently unknowing” and finally “amiable, agreeable”, even though its sense in English today is rather wishy-washy.
“Scientist” dates from the 1840s, when it was invented by an Englishman, the Reverend William Whewell. It’s related to the Latin word “scientia” meaning “knowledge”. Before that time scientists were known as “natural philosophers”.
What do you hope readers get out of Word for Today?
RS: Language can be complicated, and understanding it is a lifetime of research. But it can also be made accessible, engaging, enthralling and fun. These are what I hope readers will find in Word for Today.
And finally, what’s up next for you?
RS: I have written over 700 pieces for a weekly column in the newspaper, and nearly 700 woofties. There is no sign that the well of material is running dry. I want to keep on doing talkback radio on language, and writing about language issues, to share with others my fascination with English, languages and Language.
Thanks Roly!
—Word for Today by Roly Sussex (University of Queensland Press) is out now.
Word For Today
For the first time, the best of ABC presenter Roly Sussex's popular 'Words for Today' program are collected in book form. A must-read for all language nerds.
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