Word Play

The words we use signal meanings that are deeper than we realize. New words are constantly being invented and can flip to opposite meanings from generation to generation. Newer generations often eschew "old school" terminology to reinforce their hip, cool, or otherwise social edginess. Just ask my kids if they know anyone who's got rizz and let the razzing begin.

Fresh takes on old words can carry deeper cultural and possibly biological meaning. There are some theories that suggest the guttural sounds within root words resonate enough to send positive or negative vibes. Comedian George Carlin had a more humorous take on this idea, reminding us that some words are just funnier to say. He pointed out that,

"Words with a 'k' sound in them are funnier. Pickle is funny. Cupcake is funny. Tomatoes is not funny. Lettuce is not funny. Cucumber is funny. Cab is funny. Cockroach is funny—not if you get 'em, only if you say 'em."

His NSFW bit on swear words is even more prescient, but we won't go there. The point is that the sounds and rhythms of words shape how they land, sometimes making a message more memorable or more jarring, regardless of the speaker's intent.

Beyond how they sound, the historical meanings of modern words influence how we interpret what we hear and are embedded in all kinds of common phrases we rarely think about. Many of our everyday conversations are laced with metaphors involving actual violence we don't intend, but might signal aggression, nonetheless.

We use phrases like crushing the competition, preparing for battle, and setting up a war room. Sometimes we get shot down for a new idea or kill it on a test. It's not uncommon to go for the throat or get armed with the facts as we prepare for a client conversation. This could all be harmless, colorful use of metaphor. But it could also be sending conflicting messages or confusing our intent. Actions do speak louder than words, but the problem with subconscious meaning is that some research suggests what we say shapes our mindset and guides our behavior.

When we frame conversations as battles or competitions, we may be priming ourselves for defensiveness, win-lose, or zero-sum thinking. Instead of seeking understanding, we look for ways to score points or defend our turf. Using these terms while aiming for collaboration sends mixed messages that add noise to our signal and make it harder for our listeners to tune in.

Big Words, Ancient Meanings

As a bonus round of word play, here are some words I encounter a lot with some surprising ancient root meanings:

Talent

The word talent originally referred to a unit of weight and currency in the Mediterranean world, deriving from the Ancient Greek talanton, meaning "balance," "scale," or "that which is weighed."

The modern meaning traces first to the Parable of the Talents in the Gospel of Matthew, where a master entrusts varying sums of money ("talents") to three servants. Two servants invest their talents and multiply them, while the third buries his talent in the ground out of fear. Scholars interpret the parable metaphorically, suggesting that the "talents" represented God-given abilities that were expected to be cultivated and used productively rather than squandered.

Over time, the word shifted to a general noun that described our natural inclination or special aptitude for something like music or numbers. It became the word to describe people possessing desirable skills in the entertainment industry, and finally blossomed into its current form when McKinsey recommended winning The War for Talent as the critical strategic advantage in our knowledge-based economy.

I have more thoughts on how to unpack the word into a disciplined management practice here.

Technology

The Greek word tekhnología is translated as "the systematic study or treatment of an art or craft." Today it points more concretely to tools, machines, computers, or electronics. The deeper ancient root of *teks meant to fabricate or weave something. The ongoing conceptual theme is that it means to weave parts into something more complex, but it's gradually shifted from a making action to a physical thing like a tool or machine.

What's interesting here is that our most recent technology is back to making things. Generative AI constructs things for us, being both a pile of code (a thing) and a maker of complex outcomes (information, stories, presentations, reports, etc.).

What's In a Name?

Finally, on a completely different play vector, I think it's fun to compare company names. Some companies are concretely named after the thing they bring to market, while others signal a more abstract ideal or aspiration. I haven't done real research on this, but I wonder if the abstract ideal names outlive the concrete ones. Here's a completely biased sample of companies I've noticed:

Anthropic v. OpenAI

Anthropic means "of or relating to human beings." It comes from the Greek anthrōpikos ("human" or "pertaining to humans"), derived from anthrōpos, meaning "human being." It is also the same Greek root found in anthropology, "the study of humans," and philanthropy, literally "love of humanity." Their stated mission is developing advanced AI "for the long-term benefit of humanity" and building systems that are reliable, interpretable, and steerable. Their flagship product has a human name: Claude. Meanwhile OpenAI has ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer).

Other Tech Titans

Considering the long-term trajectories of Google, Amazon, Intel, Apple, Oracle and Nvidia versus IBM, Digital Equipment Corporation, Fairchild Semiconductor, SUN Microsystems, Microsoft, and Peoplesoft, it seems the aspirational or metaphorical set may have an edge in sustainable value creation. Bonus points if anyone knows how Nvidia was selected, I had to look it up!

Special mention as an interesting hybrid: Yahoo, selected because it meant "rude, unsophisticated, uncouth" and was also "backronymed" into Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.

Parting thought: the Facebook to Meta shift could be more of a "Hail Mary" name to valuation fix than Google's upgrade to Alphabet, which is a metaphor to metaphor upgrade (alpha + bet).