A few stolen minutes out of your day to talk words and communication, because our daily lives are surrounded by the evolution and influence of words. Forget the grammar police. There is so much more to this conversation.
Episode #40 – “Running Amok” Phrase Origin Stories & the Latest in Words You Should Know
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Approximate transcript:
Welcome to episode number 40, where we’ll discuss the origins of the phrase “running amok,” not only because we all can feel like chickens with our heads cut off at times but also because this is another expression that has a false story floating around when it comes to its etymology.
And you know I’m out to address that. But first, here’s…
The Latest in Word, Language & Writing News
The news is hard to listen to sometimes, so today’s stories are pulling from headlines I’m guessing you haven’t been following. Why? Because there is so much to follow in the world—and while so much is difficult and confusing and let’s be real, sometimes a bit straight-up horrific, some news is simply fascinating and those are stories worth paying attention to as well, right?
We talk language news on this podcast, folks, and here are two language stories you need to know:
I’ve recently come across the story of an Egyptian student’s tablet, of sorts, and when I say “tablet,” I don’t mean anything digital. This was an ancient Egyptian educational tool, a board that was whitewashed again and again for a student to practice their writing, not to waste papyrus perhaps (as one might use a chalk board, white board, or computer so as not to waste paper today). Now this writing board not only has the student’s writing, but it also has an instructor’s editing notes (maybe even grading notes) inserted around the writing in red ink.
Seriously, teachers have loved their red pens for a long time. I had no idea, though I know “pens” is not accurate when we’re talking ancient Egypt. I’m still working on the writing technology of the day and what specific instrumentation was used with the red and black paints still readable today, well, if one can read this writing, that is.
Admittedly, this one isn’t a recent news story, the Met Museum, who now has this gessoed board, notes its provenance as being purchased in 1928 from someone in Cairo, Egypt. And the object itself dates back to sometime just shy of 2000 years ago (1981–1802 B.C.E.).
Stumbling across writing education in history like this floors me and gives me such a greater perspective on our communications pursuits today. We have been trying to write well and communicate our ideas clearly and succinctly for a long time.
My next news story is related to this finding. A recent study published in the scientific journal “Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience” has shown that writing on paper preserves ideas in our brains more successfully than writing on keyboards, smartphones, or other electronic devices. Just a bunch of Luddites trying to make a statement, you say? Not so fast.
Researchers in Japan were studying the effectiveness of our memories after note-taking, and after seeing their findings, they argue that using a pen a paper allows for greater spatial awareness in writing, which allows for better recall. Just think of the specifics here, when you take notes, you write down the ideas, but perhaps you add in something on the sidebar, then you underline something to emphasize it, then you add in something with an arrow or a caret, inserting new information into previously recorded ideas.
Anyhow, there’s a lot of spatial awareness happening simply on that single page of notes, rather than a screen that’s filled up in order, with less jumping around, fewer complexities in font, sidebar notes, doodles, stars, insertions, and other all-over-the-place factors.
Is the activity in the hippocampus triggered by such scattered—or should I say “layered”—note-taking efforts as opposed to what can be handled on our present-day screens? Does using tools like digital highlighters enhance our memories when utilizing digital note-taking methods?
What does your gut say? This research poses some fascinating questions that go far beyond matters of what we feel comfortable with and what we’re used to. Further details are in my show notes, but I’d be fascinated to hear your reaction.
But beyond ancient editors and brain research, there’s so much more to cover today.
Let’s turn to today’s…
English Language History & Trivia
If we want to talk fake news, there are so many stories we could tell. Heck, you could talk about a fake news—yes, totally untrue rumor—that the word “news” comes from “n-e-w-s” as in information gathered from the north, east, west, and south (n-e-w-s). But that’s not true.
There are so many strange language rumors out there. We’ve talked about the “rule of thumb” before (hello, wife abuse rumors), so I know you’re with me on this.
Today, let’s chat about “running amok.” Here’s your hint, it’s not actually about a ship running aground into the muck. Running “a muck.” Nope, that’s not the story. So, please stop believing it’s the truth.
Instead “running amok” has a much darker history, one based in a mental health condition and/or a philosophy of warfare.
My favorite comparison is perhaps the more modern expression, “to go postal.”
What does “going postal” mean? It means to go wild, to have a breakdown, to cause some chaos. Its usage is fairly casual today, but its roots were much darker, based in real violence that broke out among disgruntled postal workers, starting in roughly 1986 and through the 1990s, when other employees and sometimes the general public was killed because of these breakdown moments. Yes, guns were involved, and that’s an entirely different conversation we’ll save for another time.
Now, much like “going postal,” “running amok” has gone through the same transition from horrific origin to casual use, now meaning simply to “lose it,” to “go wild,” or to be chaotic to the nth degree.
As with any phrase with unclear origin, people make many guesses about where it comes from. Because nautical references seem to pop up again and again in our everyday expressions, this is often where our guesses go. However, “running amok,” has nothing to do with steering a ship into the muck and getting it stuck in the muddy, sticky, shallow waters. Sure, you could argue that the navigators might have run amok, causing trouble instead of doing their jobs, but this isn’t the story, folks.
Instead, the first English usage of amok (that’s a-m-o-k) is from the 1516 text, The Book of Duarte Barbosa: An Account of the Countries Bordering on the Indian Ocean and Their Inhabitants, but amok was most greatly popularized by Captain James Cook in 1772.
And if I say Captain Cook, and you immediately jump to Peter Pan’s “Captain Hook,” there may be fair reason, with some historians believing that the author, J.M. Barrie, partially created his Captain Hook inspired by the famed sea captain James Cook, who was killed by people of a land he didn’t understand and who didn’t understand him, perhaps much like the Lost Boys, who Captain Hook certainly didn’t respect or understand. Interesting. But I’m getting away from my point.
“Amok” comes from a Malay word, referring to either a psychiatric disorder where one falls into a murderous frenzy from opium usage, evil spirits in action, or other unknown circumstances. Yikes. And/or it’s connected with a type of Malaysian and/or Javanese warrior soldier called the Amoco, who believed greatly in the glory of death in battle and earning favor from the gods in such a way, and thus without any fear of death were frenzied on the battlefield and in attacks on the street when so driven.
In this way, “amok” is not not so different from the origin of the word “berserk,” coming from the Norse “berserkers,” warriors who attacked and killed with such wild frenzy that they appeared to be in a trance when in action.
As with many antiquated cross-cultural expressions, there’s potential for judgement and disrespect hiding in the etymological weeds—or should I say the etymological muck—however, generally, the association with being “crazed” seems to be the only piece of this expression that carried into the English language.
These days, we think of “running amok” as things getting out of hand. Preschoolers on the loose with finger-paints on the walls. They’re running amok, right? But really, when people use this expression, they actually have no idea how truly out of hand this word actually implies.
A ship running into the muck? Yeah, that’s not it at all.
Is your mind now running amok with ideas? Actually, scratch that. That’s far too complicated of a question, and potentially too brutal.
Aren’t language origin stories fascinating?
Now, turning to our…
Language Challenge
At the beginning of this episode, before our conversation ran amok, I mentioned inserting notes into a document by adding “carets,” those little vertical arrows or upside-down Vs that editors (and perhaps grammar teachers) have been known to love (^).
Heck, you could insert so many carets into our explorations about running amok, like notes on “going postal” and “berserkers” and false origin stories about mud.
But think fast, how do you spell that word “caret”? Is it like the vegetable? Like a diamond or a gold ring? Or something else entirely?
How confident do you feel?
The answers, as always, can be found on my website, at GetAGripOnYourGrammar.com
Personal Update:
For those who have been following along with me on this podcast, you know I’m an author, but I’m also a fiction editor and sometimes a ghostwriter. What is a ghostwriter? Well, it doesn’t mean I’m haunted—well, I don’t think so anyhow. It means that I’ve been known to pen books for others who have a story, a mission, an idea, or something great to share but who either don’t have the time, the passion, or the know-how when it comes to actually making it happen.
So, I have a shelf in my home office where I proudly showcase my client’s books—fiction and nonfiction, editorial assistance and ghostwriting. And this shelf just expanded by three titles in the past few weeks. I just have to keep cheering on the writers and storytellers making it happen, everyone who has an idea to share that they find a way to communicate with the world. How awesome is it to see that idea, that dream, come to life? It’s one thing when I experience this feeling myself as an author, but when I have the privilege of celebrating with my clients, it makes me so incredibly happy.
More on my own work soon. Today, I’m just throwing up some punctuation-shaped confetti as I’m cheering others on. Because, wow, celebrating others’ successes is sometimes just as exciting as celebrating your own. Who’s with me?
I’m no Egyptian school master. My editorial commentary doesn’t running amok across the page, though I do love to include lots of side-notes and carets. But more on my many, many language notes next time.
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Words. Language. Communications. We’ve got this.