The directionless logic of language

[alias_sqbr]

So I'm reading this book "Stuffed and Starved" about global issues with food and stuff. I'm a few pages in and he says "most farmers have few options, especially those in the Global South (the term I use in this book to refer to the world's poorer countries)."

And I am completely thrown out of the book and have to stop reading. The global south? So, what, Australia is a poor country now while all our neighbours to the north are rich? Did he just assume none of his readers were from this side of the planet? I understand semi-redefining words that have ambiguous meanings which almost say what you want them to (the other option being making up totally new words that people will forget the meanings of) but south isn't ambiguous! It's a neat geographical division!

Well, except for "The Deep South" etc. So I guess it's a relative term.

But it's not like people make generalisations about The East and The West that..oh wait. Huh. And those seem totally natural to me, despite being much more ambiguous (West of where?) and making even less sense (Nigeria is exactly as "West" as Germany, after all)

Language is funny innit? :) (I still don't like the term but I'm sure I'll get used to it)

Comments

[alias_sqbr]

Heh. Hello! I've been having quite a few people popping in as a result of that recently, I keep feeling like I should metaphorically clean the carpets and put out some flowers :)