How do we choose the words we use?

I would tend to say teenager, and it's mostly because children this age don't like being called kids.

Re: How do we choose the words we use?


There are a number of reasons ENLs choose different words and different language structures.

1) fact of the situation/the context

kid, teenager, young man, schoolboy, adolescent, man

could all be used given the right facts, ie. depending on the context of the situation.

2) register/social situation

We choose words and structure to match the social situation; is it formal or casual? Within these two broad forms, there are many sub-categories; is it family or friends; teacher or principal; policeman or judge.

Talking about the lad in question, I'd probably say "manchild".

Talking to him, the term would depend on his mood and my mood and the context of the conversation.

As JTT has already indicated, it would depend on the contetxt. Are you writing something or speaking to or about the person? A newspaper article about a young person who has been arrested would probably use one word, while his mother, writing a letter to a friend, would use a different word. You may call him by one word while speaking to his teacher, another when addressing him personally. There is no one answer to your question. Even in writing, it depends on what you are writing and what tone you want to set. You would use one word in a research paper, another in a light satirical piece.

That depends on the individual and how he behaves. A smart and well-behaved person of that description might be called a young man while his surly or stupid friend might be labeled a kid.

In the U.S., it would be acceptable to call this person a "boy" if he is white but risky if he is African-American.

BTW, in general, I chose to avoid slang and colloquial expressions: they tend to tie you into a group too much.

Lexical expressions like:

"I choose to avoid" and "tend to" can also tie you to a certain group.

There are groups who will use the adjective "marvelous" in describing a recent party and other groups who would never use that adjective. Believe me, if you choose a certain language item over another, you will be tied to a group of mutual choosers, whether you like it or not.

Choosing to use colloquial expressions would tie you into a group known as "the majority". How does one avoid them - the expressions, not the group?

a little dood

I definitely wouldn't say boy, child, or man. "Schoolboy" sounds.... very 50s. Adolescent and youth are fine but not words I would use in colloquial speech. Young man is a word middle-aged people use. Teenager - sure, kid - if he was acting like one; I think the usual term is "guy" though.

M56 -- The "majority" does not say, "like" or call young men, "Dudes." Besides, who wants to be part of the majority? That is like correcting one's IQ to 100.

There seems to be a contradiction above. You say that the majority do not use slang items such as "like" or "dude" -which means that the minority do - and then you say that you don't want to be part of a majority.

So you want to be part of the minority who use "like", "dude" or similar?

Sorry, M56, but you seem to be a person who argues for the sake of argument. You're the one who claims the majority use colloquialisms. As a high school teacher, I can honestly say that not even the "majority" of the students here use phrases like, "dude," or "word." Most colloquial expressions are the trademarks of small groups.

M56, plainoldme did not contradict himself. He was attempting to make a point that would hold up for you given that you considered it the majority.

adolescent would be my choice.

asked my 14 yr old just now "Young Adult"

thanks dad!!

In English word choice is very critical, I would say. I think word choice must fit the individual.

Nothin is cooler than to call a six year old "dude", a little girl "darlin".

AS they grow, the tendency is to treat them the age you wish them to be. In Catholic SChool we were all Mr or Miss, from 4th grade on. We were expected to fill the title.

Context is all. "Young man" might be neutral in describing a 14-17-year-old but if you addressed him like that - "Come here, young man" - he'd know you were about to give him a terrible telling-off.