TALKING POINT
A total take on common word ‘take’
The first time I heard the phrase “your eyes take after your mother’s” I was puzzled. I knew the word “take”, but I didn’t understand “take after”. Later in school, I learned that “take after” is a way of recognising similarity in appearance.
Learning the simple, common words properly is the fastest way to improve one’s communication. One of my favourite examples is the word “take”. A simple, small word, and yet one we cannot take for granted.
Like so many words in English, “take” can be used as a verb and a noun, and can also be combined with prepositions to give us entirely new meanings.
“Take” refers to the concept of ‘grasping and holding’ and this is then extended to other aspects. If a boxer says “he was a big guy, but I knew I could take him,” or if someone says to you “I take your meaning,” these are very different ways of using the word take. The first refers to capability or strength, the second is the more abstract concept of thinking and understanding.
Let’s look at more examples of how you could use this word: To indicate a change in condition: She took ill and had to go home. To assume as a fact: I take it that you will be there. To allow to be moved or separated: This crib takes apart for easy storage To remind: The song takes one back to the old days. All of these meanings are very different from the basic first meaning in the dictionary. And yet there is much more. An entirely new set of meanings is created as soon as you start adding prepositions. When combined with a verb, prepositions add a sense of direction or time, and change the meaning entirely.
For example: Take to: Uses the metaphor of direction, is used to indicate habit (These days many children take to tennis.) or liking (They took to each other the moment they met.)
Take over: Uses the metaphor of space, implying replacing something (the new principal will take over the office from tomorrow)
And if you think that’s a lot of meaning for one word to support, there’s actually much more. We’re not even visiting the neighbours of the word take--mistake, double take, retake, uptake (ever heard the phrase “quick on the uptake”?), and so on.
Amongla Imsong
tips@skillspark.com
www.skillspark.com
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