Oh my word!

W e old codgers don’t tend to worry too much about things that may never affect us, but I’ve been keeping an eye on coronavirus stories. My heart goes out to the citizens of Wuhan, where this outbreak began. The measures the Chinese authorities have imposed on a city of 11 million are severe. They are doing their best to contain the virus. It would be fitting, then, if reporters and newscasters applied themselves to their task with equal rigour.

Wuhan is not the epicentre of this outbreak. The word epicentre is a geological term for the point on the Earth’s surface above the focus of an earthquake. The people of Wuhan have enough problems without news organisations imposing an earthquake on them as well. Epicentre was first seen in print in the 1880s. Break it down to its component parts and it reveals itself. Centre is from the Greek kentron, meaning sharp point or stationary point. Epi is also from Greek, epi, meaning upon or above.

The newshounds believe “epicentre” adds drama, or that it sounds technical and clever. It actually makes them sound like they don’t know what they are talking about.

This is an embarrassment. They are journalists, language professionals. Words are the basic tools of the trade, yet they choose the wrong ones. It is the equivalent of a joiner selecting a screwdriver to drive a nail.

In any case, we don’t need a word for the centre of the centre. Centre doesn’t take a qualifier. Phrases such as “the exact centre” or “absolute centre” just mean the same as “centre”. Just as the highest mountain is not described as “the absolute highest” or “exactly the highest”. It is, simply, the highest. Online dictionaries are beginning to attach a secondary meaning to epicentre. First listing the geological term, before explaining that the word is being used to describe the centre of the centre. Sometimes they deign to add “informal” to this secondary meaning. I’ve complained many times that dictionaries think their job is to reflect what people are saying. And I have some sympathy, they do have to explain what we hear or read. But they do not protect meanings robustly enough. By all means, explain that epicentre is used to mean the centre of the centre, but make clear this is incorrect.

So yes, I am concerned about the spread of this thing. There is an epidemic of incorrect epicentre usage sweeping the world. Be vigilant.

Avoid being infected.