It’s how you say it: a reflection on how our language affects our approach to ageing

ABSTRACT

The on-going prevalence of ageism in its many forms within contemporary society is widely acknowledged. Recognising the ways in which our choice of vocabulary and imagery can reflect our own attitude towards later life is key to addressing ageism, and this paper explores some of the 370 words in the UK English dictionary which contain the word ‘age’. While most have nothing directly to do with ageing, examples emerge which illustrate both positive and negative attitudes to later life and offer ways of imaginatively embracing the gifts of ageing. Finally, the idea of reframing ageing, which has emerged within the English-speaking world, is outlined and evaluated.

KEYWORDS:

• Ageism
• imagery
• language
• outrageous
• reframing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).