Ageful words

 

Apparently, human beings are inherent librarians: they need to classify the people around them, divide and conquer if you will.  Clearly, one of the main criteria is age. English, like most languages, has a rich vocabulary to specify the age of a person. Some are more general; some are more specific, or at least try to be; others express some kind judgment of relationship. These words define us and those that describe us.

In general, human beings are grossly divided into children, adults, and the elderly.  People break up these large generalizations into developmental groups. At one end are infants and toddlers. At some point, they become adolescents, adults and eventually senior citizens. In general, pre-adults want to become grown-ups at some time or another. Another method is to refer to their educational or occupational status. Starting from preschoolers, children become primary or elementary school children, junior high schoolers, senior high schoolers and sometimes college students. For greater specificity, parents and teachers refer to the actual grade, e.g., 5^th graders. Statisticians use the term working-age adults to describe that long period between school and retirement.  Once people stop working, they become pensioners or retirees. In some societies, the older folk are called elders as in "Respect your elders". When school or age is a bit vague, decades will do the job. Someone is in their teens or 20’s, for example. These terms are rather objective in their meaning, without being judgmental.

However, many age-related words in English carry implications, whether about the user or the intended person. The common word kid implies that the person in question is not an adult, which may be fine or may suggest immaturity on that person’s part or an inability or lack of desire to make changes. It is not the same when a child says, “Let’s sit at the kids’ table” as when an older person scowls and says, “Those kids annoy me,” or parents say of their children over the age of 30, “The kids are coming over for dinner.” In a later period of life, the term teenager has a negative image, implying annoying and unpleasant behavior. Teenagers do not refer to themselves as teenagers. Likewise, only educators and grandparents refer to older adolescents as a “young man” or “young woman”. Similarly, no person in their teens has ever said, “I am a youth”. Judgments don’t improve later in life. Being middle-aged does not refer to an actual age. It means no longer young and going downhill. The elderly are considered weak and a bit sick. As for older people, primarily younger people use that, and at their risk. It is very difficult to be politically correct when using these terms.

Thus, ageism and age-words accompany us throughout our lives. We, the objects of the terms, can only choose how we react to them. Curiously, I do not know how I would describe myself.  I am 65 years old and still working. Childhood and even middle age are behind me; retirement and serious disability are still in the future. I like to say that I have reached the age of respect, i.e., people make allowances for me, such as giving me a seat on the bus, because of my age. Ultimately, we are who we are at any given moment; the relevant word depends on the actual circumstances but does not make any difference. Yet, that truth will never stop people from categorizing you. They can’t help it.