In a past life–and by that I mean last January–I taught English composition at a community college. On the first day, we went over homonyms: a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not; heir, air.
This was introduced on day one so that I could circle the inevitably misused there/their/they’re, to/too/two, or your/you’re and say “refer to handout.”
Although the words I want to en-gage with today were not among the commonly confused by my composition students, as I continue working on personal writing projects, I discover words demanding to be said aloud, contemplated, and written about. Today’s two are:
close: (v.): used with an object to move (a door, window, etc.) so that things cannot pass through an opening; to block against entry or passage
close: (adj.): near in space; not far away or distant; near in time
close close; the same point and kerning, the sentence they’re written in provides the context for their pronunciation.
Is it difficult to hear the difference when both are said on repeat?
When they appear next to each other do they begin to lose meaning?
close close close close close close close close close
close close close close close close close close close
close close close close close close close close close
close close close close close close close close close
close close close close close close close close close
Close (v.) is routed in French and Latin circa 1200. Shut, cover, cut off, block up, put an end to, shut in, make inaccessible. This notion of making inaccessible is what my mind keeps slamming into. Close (v.)’s homonym is a bit younger. Close (adj.) came into existence in French and Latin in the late 14th Century. Near, closing the gap between two things, secret, strictly confined. Here, I stop on the strictly confined. close close becomes make inaccessible strictly confined. Thinking of close (v.), this definition makes sense, but this homonym also shows unity.
Explore close close because to be human is to connect.
When you close (v.) something, you are disconnecting.
When you are close (adj.), you are connection.
Let’s attempt to connect; to be close close close
close close close close close close close close close
close close close close close connected close close
close close close close close close close close close
close close close close close close close close close
close close close close close close close close close