Is the English word "love" the most abused one in the English Language?

Is "love" the most abused word in the English language?


I ask because in the same breath I can say, "I LOVE this can of soda!" and, "I LOVE God!"





It seems like we need something else. Something else to describe how much we care for something...especially when it comes to our spouses and God.





I ask because I'm doing a sermon on this in two weeks...and I like how the Hebrews have many words that describe "love". Especially the "love" that is built on a marriage. THIS love ("Raya", "A'hava", and "Dode") are all built successfully off each other. With "Dode" being the sexual/pleasureable portion that comes WITH marriage ("A'hava" is the love between a husband and wife, and "Raya" is the love between friends).





Maybe I'm rambling here...but I think we abuse our "love" for things. I think the word needs to be broken up into other words.





We can assume our "love" is different...but wouldn't a seperate word be clearer?





Thoughts?





Hope this helps!


Good luck, and may God conti

Is the English word "love" the most abused one in the English Language?
I have to agree. It would make sense to have different words for different kinds of love.





We have some things that are close. For instance Kin is a word that denotes people you love in a certain way. Matrimony denotes marriage and spousal love. Passion works well enough for sexual love. (Sex is a good word for sexual love to.)





We need one for physical objects to...





Adore is a good word for the Christian God.





My Gods are summed up in "Eldest Kin.", but that doesn't work well for Christians.





Frith
Reply:I tend to agree with you.
Reply:I agree with you! I'm struck by the beauty in the concept of agape found only in the NT, and how can strive to become selfless (forever falling short of course but still striving).
Reply:I love your question.
Reply:In general, context is a sufficient modifier.





I think every GI knows the difference between


"I love you"


and


"I love you long time."
Reply:Since we're doing words, I'm not sure "abused" is exactly right.


Because "love" has so many meanings and usages it's open to misinterpretation and confusion on the part of the receiver as well as, yes, mis-use, by the writer or speaker.





C. S. Lewis wrote on "The Four Loves", working from the different Greek terms that could all be rendered "love" in English.


But it's a bit unrealistic to hope that most people will follow your precision in Hebrew or his in Greek.





It may be the term that suffers most from being ill-defined in English, but others have the same problem:


God, faith, good, evil...


Nice broad terms that people can pour their own content into,


and then be surprised when people don't appear to hear what they've said (since the hearer or reader has applied their own content to the term.)
Reply:of course...so just use more words to express the particulars...sometimes more IS better...good luck(just a saying)with the sermon...
Reply:i bet if you add up all of the times they say either of the three words... it'll equal the amount that we say our one word "love".... I think you are confusing it cause yes you hear it (love) more but, more than likely you are hearing it 3 times more.... cause it is all that we have!
Reply:It is the most abused word in the English language. It is so common to use it in everyday occurrences that have nothing to do with "actual love" that it is disturbing. I would rather just forget that the word never existed. It means nothing now anyways.
Reply:I 'hate' that word....
Reply:http://home.att.net/~scorh2/MeaningOfLov...





I rarely say to my husband I love you. It just doesn't cut it. I tell him I adore him. Because I do.





Check out the above link it's love described by 4-5 year olds.





Peace to you.
Reply:Yes one word, that applies to many meanings, can get confusing. Some social scientists suggest that because we see the world through language, that if we don't have a word for something we can't perceive it. ( sapir/wharf hypothesis). One challenge you may be addressing, is related to the fact that because the common use / meanings for 'love' tend for focus on emotions and objects, they may not experience or perceive the deeper values of Love. So to be able to feel the direct love of God for example, is much different than having a person hear the 'word' love told to them in reference to God. To feel Love for a person, like a spouse, is quite different than hearing a robotic expected response of 'I love you'. So in essence, one could say that because language develops as a product of social experience in the culture, the problem of lack of deeper 'love' in this world, shows up it the common meanings/language being used. IN communication theory it is said meanings are in people, not words, so your real concern seems to be the 'meanings people have for love now', not the limitation soley of the world love. Someone wise once said, the thought of an apple is not an apple, the thought of God is not God...... your sermon should be interesting, best wishes.
Reply:I would love to think so
Reply:Yes and no.


The word love means all those things.


Yes it would be better for us to have a specific word for each kind of feeling. I have always known of the three Latin words. Philus, Agape, and Eros but they aren't really addequate. Well Eros isn't, because it mixes lust and love together.





Charity is another good word. And it is an emotion an insufficient amount of people feel.
Reply:Not quite sure of abuse, but I am sure that it ranks up within the top five, simply because there are so many varied definitions of the word, love.


Enjoy.
Reply:I don't know if I would call 'love' the most 'abused' word. It has many meanings, as a lot of words do, but that doesn't mean it's abused.





As far as abused words go, I think I would nominate the word 'evil,' as it's almost exclusively used to incite irrational, blind hatred and fear in people. It's a word that doesn't really mean anything except "you should hate and fear what follows," yet it's surprisingly effective in getting people paranoid and violent.
Reply:You're right.





The Hebrews and the Greeks had superior languages when it came to expressing love.





Greek:


Eros= sensual and sexual love


Phileo= friendship love, "brotherly" love.


Agape= Unconditional love.





The problem is that people cheapen the word love. Someone will say "I *love* chocolate", or "I *love* rollercoasters." Love is substituted for the word like. It cheapens it. Even worse than love is the word awesome. I won't even get into that.
Reply:Who knows what's in your heart God or other people.





Who are you living for God or society. Is the love for this life the same as the love we have for our creator? Of course not.





If I say I love cinnamon and someone hears me will I worry about what they think if they think that I say love to much and say I love God too.





Only worry about what God knows about you cause that is what will count.





So what if it sounds strange or you think that it is abusing the english language I could name a million things that are getting abused that are more important than what other people think.





Maybe you should preach in your sermon about how this life is temporary and how we should all live our lives for God alone and do not set partners with him.





peace
Reply:No.


"I love you!" is.
Reply:probably because alot of people use the word "love" as just an adjective. I believe that the word "love" was intended to be used as a verb.
Reply:I agree with you and your points. When I first read your question I thought no, God is the most abused word in the English language. Because His name should not be used in vain, and it is. People say God! all the time and they are using it as some expression. It's sad.
Reply:Love is just a four letter word.
Reply:You better love God or he will kill you!





GOD THE FATHER PROFILE…


Deuteronomy 21:18-21 (NIV) If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard." THEN ALL THE MEN OF HIS TOWN SHALL STONE HIM TO DEATH* (*the old perverts were just waiting there for the next child to be stoned to death! And only a God fearing Christian would have his/her son stoned to death!). You must purge the evil from among you. ALL ISRAEL WILL HEAR OF IT AND BE AFRAID.* (*It works all the time! Have your unruly child stoned to death in full public view and everybody else will learn to stay in line!)





GOD THE SON JESUS CHRIST PROFILE…


Revelation 2:23 (NIV) (Jesus says) I WILL STRIKE HER CHILDREN DEAD* (*Sweet Jesus Christ himself is the one having the pleasure of doing the killing of children so he can teach everybody a lesson! The Clergy earned millions printing books about Jesus love without telling anybody Jesus’ vicious children killing habit). Then ALL THE CHURCHES WILL KNOW that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.* (*Amen! Praise the LORD Sweet Jesus!)





Luke 19:27 (NIV) (Jesus is very excited telling this story… most Christians prefer to ignore!) But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them–bring them here and kill them in front of me.





Control by fear is deeply rooted in God’s “Plan of Salvation”… So if you got saved GOOD FOR YOU!!! Make sure that you pay your FULL tithes and offering on time or God the Holy Ghost will zap you on the spot and the church people will give you a decent Christian burial without telling anybody in your family. This is the New Testament killing of Christians after Jesus did away with the LAW of the Old Testament! You can’t test God the Holy Ghost a.k.a. “The Comforter” he is very touchy… Saint Paul says that many Christians get sick because of it. So if you get sick it may be that you lag behind in paying your dues to the Church!





GOD THE HOLY GHOST PROFILE…


Act 5:9-11 (NIV) Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?* (*by not paying the FULL tithe and offering to the Church) Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door* (*in a Christian burial nobody notifies the death event to any spouse or relative! Have you noticed how bloody cool is Saint Peter about tithing?) and they will carry you out also.” At that moment SHE FELL DOWN AT HIS FEET AND DIED* (Praise the LORD!). Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. GREAT FEAR SEIZED THE WHOLE CHURCH AND ALL WHO HEARD ABOUT THESE EVENTS* (*yeah… it works all the time! Just have somebody killed and the rest will learn! It’s the Bible way! Too bad CNN was not there to report!).





Any member of God the Holy Trinity team puts to shame any mobster intimidating and killing anybody without mercy just to get your attention! And lastly, but not the least different…





THE CLERGY PROFILE…


Deuteronomy 17:12-13 (NIV) The man who shows contempt for the judge or for the PRIEST who stands ministering there to the Lord your God MUST BE PUT TO DEATH* (*Amen! Praise the LORD!). You must purge the evil from Israel. ALL THE PEOPLE WILL HEAR AND BE AFRAID, AND WILL NOT BE CONTEMPTUOUS AGAIN.





Luke 16:17 (NIV) (Jesus said) It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.





Jesus said that HE DIDN’T COME TO CHANGE THE LAW!!! But the clergy says that “Jesus fulfilled the Law” whatever that means and that the Old Testament is no longer valid!!! SHAME ON JESUS FOR LYING…!!! Christians would much rather listen to the clergy!





Nothing promotes religion better than the story of a few killings and some coercion to keep the Christian population UNDER A SMILEY CLERGY CONTROL! Believe it or not, most Christians honestly believe that because they are still alive God must love them! So that is why they don’t pay much attention to any of the above. Today we have Clergy led Christians promoting the Bible to make it the Law of the Land! Not even the NAZIS were that bad!
Reply:90% of people use that word daily without knowing the real meaning of it
Reply:I know what you mean…





I try to associate the word “awesome” with God. Love is the emotion I think of most when I think of God.
Reply:It certainly is over used.





At least the Greeks had the right idea to make a different word for each level or kind of love.
Reply:Yes; you are rambling.


There is one Love. It comes from God.
Reply:"eros"





"agape"





These were basic concepts that I learned as a child. I'm sure you are familiar with them. (If not, look them up.)





As for "I love a soda!", this is an example of exaggeration. It is a strong indication of affinty for an object. We have plenty of words that we could use, but 'love' is easier to say than 'strong affinity'.





As an example of cultural differences, we might say,"It's snowing" to an Eskimo. The Eskimo has a great many words for 'snow'. They have a different word for wet snow with big flakes than thier word for small, powdery flakes. They might find our term for 'snow' to be a very general term. But, for someone in Florida that never sees snow, the concept doesn't need to be so precise.





In much the same way, our useage of 'love' is defined by our cultural experiance. We understand that if a friend says,'I love my dog.', he doesn't mean romantic love. We understand that when a nine-year old says that he 'loves' a girl in his class, he actually has a crush on her. By picking up on clues in syntax and combining them with the circumstances, we use the word love to mean many different things.





As a clinical, logical person, I would say that your 'love' for God is actually the manifestation of your insecurity with death. You 'love' him because he offers you eternal life. Suppose that the Bible stated that there was no heaven, and that death was final. Furthermore, suppose the Bible said that God's plan for you was all important and that he loved you. Nothing has changed, except for your eternal reward. Would you still 'love' God? Or, are you in it for eternal life? It's something to think about.

bleaching