I find it so interesting that English really focuses on intent. So many words mean that something was done purposely, like 'lying' and 'stealing', and they are common words. Although we do have the word 'misspeak' to convey saying something that is not true without the intent of deceiving, I bet that more people know what lying is than misspeaking.
I can't even think of a single word that really conveys the idea of taking something without permission without the intent to do so, but such things are not uncommon (think of how many pens or pencils you acquired or lost in school due to exactly that). There is the tongue-in-cheek phrase "borrowing without asking", but it's a phrase and not really sincere.
People often ignore the intent in their words. This is lesson number one when it comes to careful and effective writing. Make sure that if something happens on purpose, you use the word for it, and if it is accidental, you explain that. Otherwise, you can get into a whole heap of unpleasantness.
About Me
- Kevin Bahler
- I am a writer. A writer is one who writes. By the same logic, I am also a thinker, an observer, and a puzzle solver. I am a graduate from the State University of New York at Cortland with a degree in Professional Writing. The idea of the program is that one studies all three aspects of writing as a whole: Creative Writing, Technical Writing, and Rhetoric. The knowledge I have gained in those subjects is put to use in every aspect of my life. The worst thing a person can be is boring. I am most interested in people who can pique my interests. An example is people who can correctly use the word 'pique'.
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