“You have raised an important issue,” writes Ms. Alicja Adwent in an email, adding that she would be very pleased if we published her message.
I also believe that animals die. The term “died” is nasty (“I hope you die”!). I would NEVER use that word in reference to an animal. My Mrusia was a family member, she died and we mourned her as we would mourn a friend, a family member. I am also old-fashioned (over 70), as a daughter of a veterinarian, I learned respect for animals at home.
– we read.
“Thanks to him I break mileage records”
Mr. Henryk, who is almost the same age as Professor Bralczyk, admits that he finds it difficult to understand the linguist’s opinion. “I had a dog for 16 years and when it died, we were very upset. Now, I have had a schnauzer for 8 years and I take care of it like a family member. My adult daughters have dogs and cats taken from bad homes and I cannot imagine that one day my dog will leave me and die. He follows me every step of the way – thanks to him, I break records for kilometers on walks every year, which I would never do without him. Professor, you have every right to your opinion as a linguist, I have had a different opinion for several decades now. I would like to thank the editorial office for the open and honest reactions to Mr. Bralczyk’s opinions,” we read in the email from Mr. Henryk.
“If I didn’t adopt, what did I do?”
We have read almost two thousand comments under our article published on the Facebook platform. Mr. Piotr admits that he does not understand the need to elevate the human species. “On the contrary, I think that someone has done us a terrible wrong over the years, we lack humility. What’s more, I think that in the face of death, we are all equal, regardless of species. We will not say that people die, because as it sounds, it is a lack of respect. So out of respect for animals, I say that they leave, die – just like us,” he adds.
In turn, Mr. Maciej writes: “Language is constantly developing, words gain new meanings, new forms appear, old forms disappear. We have the right to our own opinion. Diversity develops, different perspectives broaden the field of vision.”
Mr. Paweł does not hide his surprise at the answer of Professor Bralczyk to the question asked by . His attention was drawn to the fragment concerning the word “adopt”. “So what did I do 6 times, if I did not adopt? I understand that we are not talking about adoption in the legal sense, but what is wrong with the statement “adopting a dog?” – asks our reader in the comment.
“We created this problem ourselves”
Ms. Dominika has a different opinion. As we read in her statement: “A dog has a muzzle. It simply does. A human has a face. What is offensive to a human is not offensive to an animal. We are the ones who started using words intended for animals to insult people. And now we have a problem that we ourselves created.”
One of the commentators under our article draws attention to the emotions that heat up the discussion about the passing of animals. “Let people say that their Pimpuś died. I want to have the right to say about the same Pimpuś that he died, because my emotional relationship with Pimpuś is zero. (…) the word “died” is more appropriate to my feelings. My hamsters and fish also died,” we read.
Another commentator draws attention to bambinism (idealized and naive perception of the natural world, especially animals, in a way shaped, among others, by cartoons for children – ed.) and the “murdering of the Polish language” in the discussion.
I have a few dogs, I love them very much – but not as much as my family. They are very close to me (I cried when one of the puppies died last year), but he died, not died. I buried him in a beautiful place in the forest – I wouldn’t do that to a relative.
– we read.
Compromise?
Another of our readers admitted that the fact that he passed away appeals to him more than “died” in relation to a dog. “You can certainly die, but with a hangover. A beloved animal passes away or dies,” he adds. Interestingly, Professor Bralczyk himself suggested a similar solution: “If someone does not want to use words that they feel have a negative connotation, such as ‘dying’ – go ahead, but I would suggest moving away from those that overly humanize them. Many people, intuitively refraining from using the word ‘die’ in an animal context, use the term ‘depart’, which is neutral, although metaphorical.”
The discussion around the passing of animals has undoubtedly stirred up emotions. Not without reason, because losing a beloved pet can become a personal tragedy and a difficult time of mourning. The language we use matters. As Polish philologist Maciej Makselon noted, “language serves us to describe reality as precisely as possible, which is constantly changing. So if, for example, our attitude towards animals changes, the language we use also begins to reflect this change. And that’s probably a good thing, right?”
Regardless of what you call the passing of animals, we thank you for this discussion. The voice of our Readers will always be important to us.
We will also discuss this topic on Czwórka Polskiego Radia. On Monday, July 22, after 10 p.m., our journalist and head of the Brand Development Department will be a guest on Jakub Jamrozek’s “Bez Tabu” show.
If you would like to share your stories with us, please write to us at news@grupagazeta.pl
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
