Jargon

Jargon and gargle are derived from the same root, refer to unintelligible speech, mere gibberish or gabble as the English called it by the sixteenth century. As it spread from one language to another, the word 'jargon' changed its meaning and came to refer primarily to the language of the underworld to keep their activities secret from ordinary citizens. İt was an anti-language of a counter culture, or a marginal language for marginal people. Around 16th century there was an impressive series of synonyms for this language of the underworld. İn English for example, it was called 'Cant', a chatterer, or a language which either himself or his hearers understood not. The term Cant came to refer not only to the language of the confidence Tricksters or Cony-catchers of Elizabeth London but also to that of scholastic philosophers, perhaps because they were coming to be considered a kind of confidence trickster. The term was extended, apparently for similar reasons, to religion groups such as Puritans and Friends.

The phrase: The Jargon of the Schools, has been in use since 1688 at the latest. Swift wrote in 1704 of 'The Cant or Jargon of the Trade'; Addison, in 1712, of 'The Cant of particular trades'; and Bullock, in 1717, of 'The Jargon of the Law'. Jargon once a descriptive of the vocabulary of thieves and beggars, came to be used to describe - and to condemn -the technical terms used by members of professions such as lawyers, physicians, philosophers, and diplomats.

Source: Burke, P., and Porter, R.,(ed), 1995, Language & Jargons, Polity Press


We have in mind only a few facts near at hand and easy to notice. There all lie on the second level, the level of awareness; we mistake them for the whole form and substance of our thinking. When we point to them, we believe we have explained ourselves.

The human mind is not a mechanism for seeing the truth, in the sense meant by men of ancient rationalism. İt is a mechanism for solving its owner's problems from situation to situation. İt cannot function well apart from such situations.

Knowledge seekers must face problems, wrestle with them, and finally catch on to the way a great thinker, say in biology or mathematics, makes discoveries.