The English language extends an array of different words and expressions however, which out of them all is the most pleasant to the ear and to the mind?
Cellar door, a phrase with not much meaning to it besides its actual use, has been termed time and time again as one of the most beautiful phrases in the English language. But many often jump to concluding the opposite due to the true use of a cellar door. However, the phrase has been awarded so due to its euphonic resonation which is found extremely pleasant to the ear.
Revisiting the archaic usage of the phrase could perhaps give us a better knowledge of why it’s so beautiful. Dorothy Parker, a name familiar with all during the late 1800s was an American poet, writer and critic was one of the very first to spark the conversation of Cellar Door being the most beautiful phrase.
No scientific proof of the word having a particularly good effect exists however, several other renowned writers and English nobles seem to agree with her proposition. English writer, poet and philologist; J. R. R. Tolkien gave similar thoughts and also went forward to express that when the word was spelt differently than its real spelling, its value and beauty increase twofold.
There are many words such as, offing, onomatopoeia, palimpsest, etc that are said to be beautiful purely on their euphonic value. However the peculiarity of Cellar Door gives it a greater beauty.
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/magazine/14FOB-onlanguage-t.html?ref=magazine
1) If I were answering the question you selected, one difference between your opinion and my opinion would probably be that for a word to truly be beautiful, its meaning must match up to its euphonic qualities and that a word can’t be beautiful solely based on how it sounds.
2) The thing that makes the question you selected difficult to answer is that this is a highly subjective question. Though many people may hold the same opinion, with a question like this, it’s impossible to thoroughly prove it.
3) Your post now makes me wonder if we should be asking the following question: Why are some words considered ‘beautiful’ but others aren’t?
Thank you for your comment! You have proposed a very interesting perspective to this question. But if we were to delve into meaning rather than sound then there would be way too many opinions about which word holds the greatest meaning. When we go into meaning there are too many aspects to consider !
If I were answering the question you selected, one difference between your opinion and my opinion would probably be that words have great meaning and beauty depending upon the situation. The simple word ‘Okay’ holds the greatest meaning to fans in John Green’s book, TFIOS. Thus every word, big or small, holds great meaning, depth and beauty but it all depends on how every individual understands it.
The thing that makes the question you selected difficult to answer is the difference in opinion amongst individuals.
Your post now makes me wonder if we should be asking the following question, should any word be considered good or bad, meaningful or meaningless? If so who are we to say so? It all depends on opinion and thus it is irrational to ask questions. Or is it?
If I were to look at this text with another opinion- I would first look at what it means to for a word to be beautiful and go into more expanded analysis on all types of words and come to a different conclusion . It is difficult to come to a definite answer on this question- depending on age, culture, literacy, it is very subjective. This makes me want to reflect about any psychological connotations words possess and why we choose to use some words more frequently than others. 🙂
If I were answering the question you selected, one difference between your opinion and my opinion would probably be some words are good or bad. Maybe my opinion is different from yours.
The thing that makes the question you selected difficult to answer is the individuals thing
Your post now makes me wonder if we should be asking the following question do you have to have a certain definition for each word?