the duffel
I recently remembered that there are two ways to spell ‘duffle’ (duffel). I grew up using ‘le’. Well, what I mean to say is that every time I searched for a new bag I always used ‘le’ and got excellent results. So, imagine my surprise when TikTok of all places decided to do my captions spelling it ‘duffel’. Consider me baffled and confused. So, I went to Google. The original spelling ‘duffel’, named after a municipality in Belgium, was “corrupted” over time with the spelling of ‘duffle’. Fascinating. Why use the word ‘corrupted’ to describe ‘changed’ or ‘evolved’? (Word choice is very important.)
Then, I did what any millennial would do. I immediately went to Instagram and did a poll. No context just ‘duffle’ and ‘duffel’. Unsurprisingly, I received mixed results. (I’m very fortunate to have a pretty global community.) I looked at every submitted response. Americans and Asians, all selected ‘duffle’, while their African and European counterparts selected ‘duffel’. To me this makes sense. African and European communities often learn the Queen’s English (is it now King’s English?), while Asian communities tend to gravitate more towards American English.
It’s official, I was hooked on this dilemma. Do I change the name of my article series? Do I honor my American background and keep it? Is this a classic case of prescriptive versus descriptive English or does that only pertain to the spoken language? Where do I find the answers? Merriam-Webster. I may have studied in the United Kingdom, but I am an American through and through. I trust Merriam-Webster with all my English language needs.
The proper spelling in America is ‘duffel’. (Someone tell all the retailers!) I am also curious as to how bootylicious is an official word, yet duffle has not been changed, but I digress. I shall not go against Merriam-Webster or the very foundation of which I express myself will crumble. That’s what words are to us. They are the easiest way for us to clearly communicate our needs and wants. Language is very important and shapes the way we view the world, interact with others, and better understand our place.
With over 7,000 oral languages in the world, I have to wonder if spelling truly matters in the grand scheme of things. Especially since language comes in many forms. Sign language is a large part of our global communities and the fact that many languages have its own signs for words and structures for sentences in mind-blowing. Did we just double our count to 14,000? (We did not. Don’t quote me on this.)
Let’s not forget the importance of body language. (Did you get the reference?) How you present yourself to the world and express your self is very much dependent on the culture and country you grew up in. Are you more outspoken? When you say, “let’s do lunch”, do you mean it? Are you blunt and to the point? Or do you beat around the bush? Do you even use the phrase “beat around the bush”? Consider the way you use your mother tongue and how that impacts the way you communicate with the outside world. Be sure to check out other the duffel articles here.
As ever,
Angelique Michelle
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