ELEGANTLY CONFUSING

 

       SOME   ADVERTISEMENTS

        These are days of wooing the customer or converting a buyer in to a customer by high pressure advertisements.  These keep on coming your way. Except the totally private domains of the house, the advertisements are omnipresent. If you cultivate the attitude of “celibacy” to them, agencies have a technique of hooking you. Standing at vantage points, they serve hand bills lavishly printed on quality paper. People display courtesy to these distributors, receiving the pamphlet with all humility and reverence. After glancing it, they discard it on the way or hand it over to someone else. These bills carry messages that project the product as an embodiment of virtues / technology. Often they tempt the gullible middle class by offering advantages / terms far “out of reach” otherwise. Several hidden spikes may show up after one gets deeply committed to the deal. Even high profile banks resort to these strategies. People at large have come to believe that for selecting a product or offer, the advertisement is helpful. At best, these give us an idea of the range of competing brands. These pieces of publicity occupy all forms of media including the TV channels. They hold the time and most children enjoy them more than anything else. The stranglehold they have over everything has created an atmosphere of casual attitudes. The expressions used to convey the idea are not precise and sometimes even slang appears. Some may dismiss it as a lighter vein effort to catch attention. But, my fear is, slowly these usages may creep into items of seriousness like letters and examination papers.

        The items in print are taken as acceptable / authentic and people take to casual expressions even for formal contexts. Therefore, I express concern for such thing

                                                              

       Why this concern:   I have come across situations where the expression and the          intention do not go together. I shall quote some of them as mere examples without any motive of denigrating the sources or their advertising agencies. 

A reputed 2-wheeler manufacturer had put up a hoarding in praise of their product

‘What a way to be carried away’. Was it a passive indication of truth? I do not know.

Another firm offering Computer education had put up a banner which read as under.

No man is an island. So we build a bridge. I am unable to comprehend the sense behind.

Several advertisements rendered in Tamil are bad both in construction and phraseology. One such item suggests “ KANNA  MOODITTU VANGALAM” கண்ணை மூடிட்டு வாங்கலாம் whose actual translation is You can buy after your eyes are closed [after your death]. Are they marketing coffins? The better form would be “KANNA MOODIKKITTU VANGALAM” கண்ணை மூடிக்கிட்டு வாங்கலாம் as it conveys reposing faith in the honesty of the firm which is perhaps what they intend.   Another washing powder brand suggests “Chlorine bleachai kondirukkavillai” க்ளோரின் ப்ளீச்சை க்கொண்டிருக்கவில்லை meaning - it did not have chlorine bleach. A better version would be ‘Idhil chlorine bleach illai’ இதில் க்ளோரின் ப்ளீச் இல்லை indicating that there is no chlorine. Another new arrival claims “Karaiyai vittu vaippadhillai” கறையை விட்டு வைப்பதில்லை. The honest meaning is, it removes stains. The product is not a washing or a cleaning agent. It is a pain balm.  A better way is “ Karai Padivadhillai” கறை படிவதில்லை meaning that the product does not cause stains on clothes. Another Cosmetic item suggests that it is ideal for men. In haste they have phrased “Thadiththa Aangalin Sarumathirku  Ugandhadhu” தடித்த ஆண்களின் சருமத்திற்கு உகந்தது which literally means ‘Ideal for the skin of heavy men’. Better form is “Aangalin thadiththa sarumarthirku ugandhadhu” ஆண்களின் தடித்த சருமத்திற்கு உகந்தது suggesting ‘Ideal for the rough skin of men’. These suggest hasty phrasing.

        Greater damage is done by mixing different languages. One example: KIT KAT Thinnudu. கிட் கேட் தின்னுடு . HAY PPY Aayidu ஹேப்பி ஆயிடு. On first sight, I thought one would change into “HAY PPY” from the human form.  Later I learnt that the English term happy has been rendered in Tamil. In the process, such writings inflict damage through wrong phonetics. Certain phonetic forms can not be faithfully scribed in Indian languages.      It may result in an undesirable effect. 

 The young who are in the process of learning, cultivate bad phonetics since they readily absorb what they see first.  Therefore, such terms are better translated to the lingua franca or scribed in the original language. Some other expressions are ‘DHAMAKA’ and ‘HUNGAMA’. It is better that such words are used in the form common for that language, instead of importing words from other regions without making the idea clear.  Better they  are translated right, instead of transliteration. The impact of such practices of planting alien words is rather serious, as people fail to learn appropriate forms of usage in any language including their own. Any activity that ruins the scope of learning must be desisted in the larger interests of apt learning. The word Queue is often written as ‘Q’, more for sheer convenience.  But the chance for passive learning is lost. Another instance is that of spelling the word Superintendent.  Often, ‘Supdt’ is employed. The effect is a denial of chance for imparting the right approach. Starting somewhere, I have digressed into this area. But it is vital to reiterate that passive learning has to be encouraged and provided for. It is a better way of picking up usages in any language. Advertisements appropriately framed can also help people to learn.

          Prof. K.Raman