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Officialese

January 01, 1970

Not to be confused with official language.

Officialese, bureaucratese,[1][2] or governmentese is language that sounds official.[3] It is the "language of officialdom".[4] Officialese is characterized by a preference for wordy, long sentences; complex words, code words, or buzzwords over simple, traditional ones; vagueness over directness; and passive over active voice[3][5] (some of those elements may, however, vary between different times and languages[6]). The history of officialese can be traced to the history of officialdom, as far back as the eldest human civilizations and their surviving official writings.[7]

Officialese is meant to impress the listener (or reader) and increase the authority (more than the social status) of the user, making them appear more professional.[3][4] Ernest Gowers noted that officialese also allows the user to remain vague.[3] It can be used to make oneself understood to insiders while being hard to decipher by those unfamiliar with the jargon and subtexts used.[8] Its use is known to put off members of the general public and reduce their interest in the material presented.[9] Officialese has been criticized as making one's speech or prose "stilted, convoluted, and sometimes even indecipherable";[3] or simply as the "cancer of language".[2] It is thus more pejoratively classified as one of the types of gobbledygook.[1][10] Its use can also result in unintended humorous incidents, and has been often satirized.[3]

Several similar concepts to officialese exist, including genteelism, commercialese, academese, and journalese.[3] The existence of officialese has been recognized by a number of organizations, which have made attempts to curtail its use in favour of plain language.[10][7][11]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Olivia Stockard (8 June 2011). The Write Approach: Techniques for Effective Business Writing. Emerald Group Publishing. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-85724-831-2. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  2. ^ a b V.S. Gupta (1 January 2003). Handbook Of Reporting And Communication Skills. Concept Publishing Company. p. 8. ISBN 978-81-8069-043-3. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Bryan A. Garner; Ruth Bader Ginsburg (31 March 2009). "Genteelisms, Officialese, and Commercialese". Garner on Language and Writing. American Bar Association. pp. 88–94. ISBN 978-1-60442-445-4. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  4. ^ a b Bryan A. Garner (17 May 2001). A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage. Oxford University Press. p. 615. ISBN 978-0-19-514236-5. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  5. ^ Bryan A. Garner (28 July 2009). "Formal Words". Garner's Modern American Usage (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 370–71. ISBN 978-0-19-987462-0. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  6. ^ J. Renkema (2004). Introduction to Discourse Studies. John Benjamins Publishing. p. 152. ISBN 978-1-58811-530-0. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  7. ^ a b Steven Roger Fischer (3 October 2004). History of Language. Reaktion Books. p. 193. ISBN 978-1-86189-080-1. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  8. ^ Barbara Czarniawska (15 April 1997). Narrating the Organization: Dramas of Institutional Identity. University of Chicago Press. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-226-13229-7. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  9. ^ Talke Klara Hoppmann (18 March 2010). Citizen Perceptions of the European Union: The Impact of the Eu Web Site. Cambria Press. p. 411. ISBN 978-1-60497-675-5. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  10. ^ a b Martin Manser (28 August 2011). Good Word Guide: The fast way to correct English - spelling, punctuation, grammar and usage. A&C Black. p. 451. ISBN 978-1-4081-2332-4. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  11. ^ Christopher Williams (30 June 2007). Tradition and Change in Legal English: Verbal Constructions in Prescriptive Texts. Peter Lang. p. 177. ISBN 978-3-03911-444-3. Retrieved 29 August 2012.

External links edit

  • J Renkema, On functional and computational LSP analysis: the example of officialese 2013-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
  • More about Gobbledygook, Rudolf FleschPublic Administration Review Vol. 5, No. 3 (Summer, 1945), pp. 240–244, https://www.jstor.org/stable/973061

January 01, 1970
officialese, confused, with, official, language, bureaucratese, governmentese, language, that, sounds, official, language, officialdom, characterized, preference, wordy, long, sentences, complex, words, code, words, buzzwords, over, simple, traditional, ones, . Not to be confused with official language Officialese bureaucratese 1 2 or governmentese is language that sounds official 3 It is the language of officialdom 4 Officialese is characterized by a preference for wordy long sentences complex words code words or buzzwords over simple traditional ones vagueness over directness and passive over active voice 3 5 some of those elements may however vary between different times and languages 6 The history of officialese can be traced to the history of officialdom as far back as the eldest human civilizations and their surviving official writings 7 Officialese is meant to impress the listener or reader and increase the authority more than the social status of the user making them appear more professional 3 4 Ernest Gowers noted that officialese also allows the user to remain vague 3 It can be used to make oneself understood to insiders while being hard to decipher by those unfamiliar with the jargon and subtexts used 8 Its use is known to put off members of the general public and reduce their interest in the material presented 9 Officialese has been criticized as making one s speech or prose stilted convoluted and sometimes even indecipherable 3 or simply as the cancer of language 2 It is thus more pejoratively classified as one of the types of gobbledygook 1 10 Its use can also result in unintended humorous incidents and has been often satirized 3 Several similar concepts to officialese exist including genteelism commercialese academese and journalese 3 The existence of officialese has been recognized by a number of organizations which have made attempts to curtail its use in favour of plain language 10 7 11 See also editBureaucracy Business speak Fedspeak Legalese Manual of style Humphrey Appleby a fictional character noted for his extremes in officialese Wooden languageReferences edit a b Olivia Stockard 8 June 2011 The Write Approach Techniques for Effective Business Writing Emerald Group Publishing p 62 ISBN 978 0 85724 831 2 Retrieved 29 August 2012 a b V S Gupta 1 January 2003 Handbook Of Reporting And Communication Skills Concept Publishing Company p 8 ISBN 978 81 8069 043 3 Retrieved 29 August 2012 a b c d e f g Bryan A Garner Ruth Bader Ginsburg 31 March 2009 Genteelisms Officialese and Commercialese Garner on Language and Writing American Bar Association pp 88 94 ISBN 978 1 60442 445 4 Retrieved 29 August 2012 a b Bryan A Garner 17 May 2001 A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage Oxford University Press p 615 ISBN 978 0 19 514236 5 Retrieved 29 August 2012 Bryan A Garner 28 July 2009 Formal Words Garner s Modern American Usage 3rd ed Oxford University Press pp 370 71 ISBN 978 0 19 987462 0 Retrieved 21 March 2013 J Renkema 2004 Introduction to Discourse Studies John Benjamins Publishing p 152 ISBN 978 1 58811 530 0 Retrieved 29 August 2012 a b Steven Roger Fischer 3 October 2004 History of Language Reaktion Books p 193 ISBN 978 1 86189 080 1 Retrieved 29 August 2012 Barbara Czarniawska 15 April 1997 Narrating the Organization Dramas of Institutional Identity University of Chicago Press p 152 ISBN 978 0 226 13229 7 Retrieved 29 August 2012 Talke Klara Hoppmann 18 March 2010 Citizen Perceptions of the European Union The Impact of the Eu Web Site Cambria Press p 411 ISBN 978 1 60497 675 5 Retrieved 29 August 2012 a b Martin Manser 28 August 2011 Good Word Guide The fast way to correct English spelling punctuation grammar and usage A amp C Black p 451 ISBN 978 1 4081 2332 4 Retrieved 29 August 2012 Christopher Williams 30 June 2007 Tradition and Change in Legal English Verbal Constructions in Prescriptive Texts Peter Lang p 177 ISBN 978 3 03911 444 3 Retrieved 29 August 2012 External links editJ Renkema On functional and computational LSP analysis the example of officialese Archived 2013 10 23 at the Wayback Machine More about Gobbledygook Rudolf FleschPublic Administration Review Vol 5 No 3 Summer 1945 pp 240 244 https www jstor org stable 973061 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Officialese amp oldid 1208177030, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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