Even though my pen should still be mourning my first life and language teacher who made it possible for me to tell apart words like MORNING, MOURNING and MOANING, the need to appreciate everyone who gave me emotional support dragged my pen back on paper sooner than planned.
Of course, each individual expressed his/her condolences (not “condolence”, although one can write a “letter of condolence”) in the wake of her demise. It, thus, bears mentioning that every new thing gained from this piece sends peace to my mother in her new home.
Language, especially with the advent of gadgets such as smartphones and laptops, has become fragile, with the chances of unknowingly typing “Dead sir” when you mean to type “Dear sir”. The foregoing depicts a typographical error in the digital age. While some literary writers hide under “poetic licence” when errors are found in their compositions, “typographical error” has become the label even when people cannot spell words correctly or tell words apart.
Note, for instance, that the expression of sorrow for someone’s death is MOURNING and should not be confused with the period of time between midnight and noon which is MORNING and the act of making a long, low sound expressing physical or mental suffering or sexual pleasure. So, I should thank everyone who called me on the morning of Thursday, December 15, 2022, when I was mourning my beloved mother by moaning all day.
The loss (not “lost”) of one’s mother is a devastating experience, especially when one is lucky to have a godsend (not “godsent”) as a mother. May you all not lose (not “loose”) your loved ones too soon. And to all of us who have lost (not “lose”) one beloved or the other, may the Lord remain our Comforter. May our lives not become loose (not “lose”; not firmly held or fastened in place) because of the loss of our loved ones.
The height of such loss is when the remains (not “remain”) are (not “is”) being interred. The tears roll (not “role”) out uncontrollably, and the thought of never sighting (not “citing” or “siting”) our loved ones again envelop (not “envelope”) us in sadness. Note that a flat paper container with a sealable flap, which is used to enclose a letter or document, is an envelope; but to wrap up or cover something is to envelop it.
Again, even if the death of the deceased is caused by a disease, we must be able to tell the words apart. A recently dead person is called the deceased while a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant is a disease. The general reader, by extension, should avoid confusing “deceased” with the nouns “decease” (death) and “disease” (a condition).
Read also: Like grammar; Like real life
What is more, a religious ceremony performed by a priest for a dying person is called last rites (not “rite”), and the phrase is also used to mean the final rites and prayers for a dead person, especially in American English. Next, it is crucially important to note that the adjective “late”, with regard to (not “with regards to”) the dead, is used attributively (before a noun), not predicatively (after a linking verb). As such, we have the following sentences:
Non-standard: My mother is late.
Standard: My late mother was a selfless and industrious woman.
Importantly, you have to try to be in your mother’s good books (not “good book”) if you still have her. You must not wait till her death to throw a party. If you have your mother, and you have not been kind enough to her, you need to turn over a new leaf (not “turn a new leave/leaf”), for the paradise of a child lies beneath his/her mother’s feet as Prophet Muhammed taught the Muslim faithful (not “the Muslim faithfuls”). I am living proof (not “a living proof”) that mothers are a great source of blessing. Even if your cleric speaks in tongues (not “in tongue”) for hours, your mother’s prayers for you get God’s attention before his. She is, therefore, first among equals (not “first among the equal”) in your life.
In conclusion, may the soul of my mother and those of others who have equally lost theirs rest in peace. Season’s greetings to everyone!
