ABSTRACT
Truth,ithasbeensaid,isthefirstcasualtyinwar;andit isthefirstcasualtyinanyquarrelinwhichspeechplaysapart. Forlanguageinaquarrelrapidlydegenerates,andthatnot merelyinthesensethathewhowasatfrrsttiresomemay becomepig-headed,thenaswineandfinallya-- swine.Our choiceofinvectiveandabusewillalwaysdependmostly onourupbringingandhabits;amongsomepeopleastring ofswear-wordsisnomorethanarecognizedornamentto speech,andinothergroupsanyuseofsuchwordsisan unpardonableinsult.Aworsedegenerationoflanguageis thatinaquarrelitgraduallyceasestocommunicate.Language inaquarrelmaybeasuselessandevenasharmfulascancer cellsaretothebody;insteadoffulfillingitsproperfunction ofcommunication,iterectsnewbarriers.
