Feb 11 2008
The Semantics Of Sasquatch - The Power Of Words In Bigfoot Research
These days, many people seem to have forgotten the true meanings of words and phrases. Nobody wants to open up a dictionary anymore, and so the meanings of words become hazy in our minds, vulnerable to misuse. Many Bigfoot researchers like to throw words around like heavy stones, in the hopes one will knock an opponent senseless. Yet their use of the words shows how little they truly understand the meanings of those words.
Semantics refers to the study of meaning. Every word has at least one specific, historically documented meaning. Most have several. To start things off, let’s examine the word “primate.”
Many Bigfoot researchers use the words primate and ape interchangeably; however, the words are not synonyms. A primate is “any of an order (Primates) of mammals that are characterized esp. by advanced development of binocular vision, specialization of the appendages for grasping, and enlargement of the cerebral hemispheres and that include humans, apes, monkeys, and related forms (as lemurs and tarsiers).” An ape is “any of two families (Pongidae and Hylobatidae) of large tailless semierect primates (as the chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, or gibbon).”
Hmm…they don’t sound like synonyms to me. If you call Bigfoots primates, then I would agree with you. Humans are primates too. But if you call Bigfoots apes, I would disagree. First of all, Bigfoots are not semierect; they walk upright just like humans. Second, they have not been proven to belong either of the two families mentioned in the definition. Before you use a word like primate–or any word–as a weapon in your intellectual arsenal, make sure you understand its meaning.
Next, let’s focus on a word that inspires more anger and resentment than any other six letters jammed together: belief.
Bigfooters don’t want to be called believers. They studiously avoid using the words belief or believe. What are they afraid of?
Belief can refer to an acceptance of the tenets endorsed by a group, such as a religious institution. But belief also means “a conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon esp. when based on examination of evidence.” Conviction quite literally means “the state of being convinced.”
Think about the definition I just quoted for the word belief–”a conviction…of the reality of some being or phenomenon.” What’s wrong with being convinced that a being or phenomenon is real? If you don’t think Bigfoots are real, then why exactly are you investigating the sightings?
The second part of the definition states “esp. when based on examination of evidence.” In essence, belief happens when you examine the evidence for a phenomenon and become convinced of the reality of that phenomenon. I see nothing silly or unscientific about belief. To believe simply means “to hold an opinion.” Without opinions, without belief, science would never advance. Truth begins as a question, followed up by the gathering and examination of evidence, and culminating in an informed opinion–i.e. a belief.
I believe in Bigfoot. And I’m not ashamed to say so. Once you understand the real meanings of words, they lose their power over you. Dare to believe in Bigfoot.
Definitions taken from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition
Copyright 2007 Lisa A. Shiel
Lisa A. Shiel is the author of Backyard Bigfoot: The True Story of Stick Signs, UFOs, & the Sasquatch, a ForeWord Magazine 2006 Book
As a recognized Bigfoot expert, Lisa has been interviewed by big-city newspapers, drive-time talk radio hosts, local and national magazines, and TV reporters. In 2005, she founded the Michigan Upper Peninsula Bigfoot Organization (MUPBO) to explore all aspects of the Bigfoot phenomenon, from sightings to evolution to UFOs. Lisa has a master’s degree in Library Science. She currently pens a blog, Bigfoot Quest, as a companion to the MUPBO site.
Tags: Bigfoot, hairy hominid, Sasquatch, Yeti
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