"Normality" is now incorrect

When I was chatting to Peta Credlin on Sky News the question came up of the word ‘normalcy’. It has exactly the same meaning as the far more common word ‘normality’– so ‘normalcy’ is not (to be honest) a word we need. ‘Normality’ is recorded from 1839 with the meaning we are all familiar with: ‘a situation in which things happen in the usual or expected way’ (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English).

‘Normalcy’ appears to have been coined in the US around 20 years later – perhaps as a ‘portmanteau’ word: two words packaged together. In this case ‘normal’ and ‘tendency’. At any rate ‘normalcy’ has not caught on in the same way, and is used far less frequently than ‘normality’ – although perhaps its use is increasing. Why might this be?

The word ‘normal’ is recorded in English from the 1500s (from a French source, behind which is a post-classical Latin word) with the meaning of: ‘Constituting or conforming to a type or standard; regular, usual, typical; ordinary, conventional.’ (Oxford English Dictionary).

But this is now a word the woke warriors find offensive – because if we say something is ‘normal’ then anything that doesn’t conform is (logically) ‘abnormal’. So, if I say it is normal for a child to have a Mum and a Dad – some people will take offence. It’s true of course – statistically it is normal for a child to have a Mum and a Dad. Fact.

But this word ‘normal’ frightens them. And (here’s my theory): in order to avoid that frightening word more and more people are resorting to this ugly word ‘normalcy’ – which enables them to dismiss ‘normal’ life and ‘normal’ behaviour as nothing more than a ‘tendency’ (perhaps, in their worldview, an unfortunate tendency).

https://spectator.com.au/2022/11/language-37

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http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

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