fun with language

With so much covering of the head here in the UAE, it might seem obvious that many of our team discussions would be concerned with women's clothing.  And, since I've devoted my entire educational and professional career to applied linguistics, it might also seem obvious I'd have a grand time with the linguistic differences among a group of 11 English speakers, some native, some not, from 7 different countries.

One of our more amusing (and long-lived) debates has concerned the appropriate terminology for a large piece of square or rectangular fabric, worn to cover the head, shoulders and upper body.  This debate started when our very sweet Colombian Felipe asked me if I planned to purchase a SHAWL.

"A SHAWL?" I asked, incredulous.  "Um, no, Felipe, I would never wear a SHAWL.  That's for old women."

Felipe, I would soon learn, can be dogged when he is engaged in a debate.

"Yes, it eez a SHAWL," he asserted.

"No," I retorted, "a SHAWL is something worn by an old hag, like the witch from Hansel and Gretel."  And to further illustrate my point, I pantomimed pulling an invisible scarf over my head and then cackled like a witch.  "Like that.  I don't wear SHAWLS."

"Well then, what eez it?" he asked.

"I don't know, a scarf.  A pashmina.  Anything but a SHAWL.  Women under 80 don't wear SHAWLS."

"Noooo, a pashmina is only a certain kind," he said, "these are not pashmina."

Well, this little exchange turned into a poll of the entire team in the middle of an upscale souk during our first visit to Dubai.  As Felipe pointed in the window at an example of the rectangular fabric in question, every team member who sauntered up gave the same answer:  "SHAWL."  Felipe eventually had almost the entire team beside him, laughing, as he filled them in on our debate.  At last, Karen, the only other American woman on the team, strolled up.

"Karen, what do you call this?" he asked, now very animated and laughing with his SHAWL supporters.

"Probably a scarf or pashmina," she said.

"Ah HA!  See that Felipe?" I yelled, laughing. "Karen said pashmina!"

"Ok, what did I just do?"

"Karen, Felipe is trying to say it's a SHAWL."

"Oh noooo, that's not a SHAWL.  SHAWLS are for old women."  At that, the whole team erupted in laughter.

Well, since then, we've debated the color, type of fabric, thickness and usage of the SHAWL, scarf and pashmina.  Every time Felipe sees a sign that says SHAWL, he makes sure I clearly see the label SHAWL and reminds me that the rectangular fabric used for covering the head and upper body is a SHAWL.  A case in point:

Sign in a Dubai souk, seen during our 2nd visit

Ah-hem.  Whatever.

So, in spite of the fact that most of the UAE and the world (as represented by my CSC team) holds an alternative connotation of the lexical item in question, I have not worn, will not wear, nor will I purchase a SHAWL.   At least not until I reach the ripe old age of 80.  #ibmcsc uae