My Thoughts to this activity and questions
Part 1: What do the words “text” and “technology” mean to you?
What is text?
When I think about text, it can be as simple as a drawing to convey a meaning, or it could be a published article.
I see text as fluid and ever-changing. Therefore, I do not consider text to be letters organized coherently but a manner by which any individual wants to convey their meaning.
What is technology?
I think about the term technology holistically. I do not necessarily see it has software and hardware components in a machine. Instead, I believe technology is a term that can divide or unite groups/members of a society by how such a term has either brought advancements or hindered their society’s way of life.
Part 2: Listen to The Word Guy’s episode on Internet Age Words
Tweet: the sound we would associate a bird to make but now is largely referenced to a social media post within Twitter
So far that is all I could come up with, as this episode covered many of the ones I was thinking about.
Part 3: Search the OED for formal definitions and etymology
It was fascinating to learn the historical and profiles for each of these words. As I read these words, I began to think about other languages, whether a similar search could be conducted, and what results from it would garner. I find this a valuable tool to bring into the classroom to reinvigorate students to understand the necessity for a dictionary.
Part 4: Graph the Usage of the terms over time with Google Ngram Viewer
Text and Technology graph
The pattern I noticed was that text seemingly appeared steadfast in its use and appearance throughout most of history until what I can assume is the accessibility of materials necessary for making ‘technology’ in the 1920s. I would suggest this ‘uptick’ speaks to the decade by which many individuals had more of a disposable income. However, it appears the term technology really took off in the 1970s in conjunction with further advancements in the field of computers and maybe with more accessibility to computerized manufacturing for companies.
Part 5: Consider the following questions
What does the etymology of these words suggest about their inherent meanings?
Text: When I grasp the connection between the term text and texture or woven, this form of connectivity makes sense. The interconnectedness of fibers creates a texture, while letters woven together will create a completed term. What I also noted about text was the connection between tactile and texture. I thought about a cloth that is woven and that of a text called braille which is also raised and tactile.
Technology: The etymology of this term appears to have been borrowed partially from Greek and Latin terminology. Therefore, it would seem not to have had one specific reference and maybe why there are five variations of where it was referenced throughout history.