Connotative language

In English words often carry more weight than their literal definitions. We call the literal definition “ denotive” and the additional information “connotative”.

For Finns studying English a tricky point is when two or three words have the same denotive meaning but the emotional tone of the word differs. A classic example of this is “nervous” versus “excited” – both translate as “ jännittää” but how can you get the right connotation? Let’s look at the some of the common tricky terms so you can use some connotative language effectively.

The Power of Connotation

While both words describe a heightened emotional state, "nervous" often has a negative connotation, associated with anxiety or fear. You may be nervous before a presentation. On the other hand, "excited" tends to be more positive, suggesting eagerness or anticipation, such as being excited to see your favourite musician live.

Similarly, words like "event," "incident," and "happening" may seem interchangeable, but each carries different implications. An "event" tends to be neutral or positive, something planned or noteworthy e.g. a concert or party event. An "incident," however, often refers to something unfortunate or disruptive i.e. an argument may be referred to as “an incident in the office”. Meanwhile, a "happening" is typically a casual occurrence, which can be either positive or negative based on context. Warning –“happening” is very informal and can sound slightly hippyish!

Another word where we would use different words is in translating “mahdollisuus”. We use opportunity for the positive, we would always say “ a great opportunity to succeed” rather than “possibility”. Possibility is neutral or negative. We talk about mathematical possibilities or the possibilties of failure, risk, fire etc.

Subtle Judgment in Everyday Language

In addition to feeling, connotations also express judgments. Words like "tolerant" and "permissive" may seem similar, but there’s an important distinction. "Tolerant" has a positive connotation, suggesting acceptance or patience, especially in the face of differences, such as being tolerant of other cultures and habits . "Permissive," however, can carry a negative judgment, implying a lack of discipline or control i.e. a permissive parent lets young children stay out untill late at night . Likewise we see “ intervene” as a positive step to prevent something negative, whereas “to interfere” is to step in where you are not needed e.g. the police intervene to stop a fight, a nosy neighbour interferes in others’ private lives.

In UK English enquiries refers to standard questions to gain information while inquiries are more in depth and may refer to a negative context. For example a tourist makes enquiries while the police make inquiries. However, please note that in the US inquiries can be used in both contexts.

Understanding the difference between denotation (literal meaning) and connotation (emotional or cultural implications) can be important to get the right tone. We hope these examples have been useful and if you like to learn more about connotative language please contact us at https://www.galimatias.com/ or by filing in our form on: