海角大神

Ever since I took the SAT in high school, I have understood reticent to mean 鈥� as the test-prep site explains 鈥� 鈥渘ot inclined to talk or provide information鈥� or 鈥渞eluctant to draw attention to yourself.鈥� Reticent evokes 19th-century novels, in which such reserve was often portrayed as a virtue, an indication that one spoke when it was proper and useful. In George Eliot鈥檚 鈥淢iddlemarch鈥� (1871-72), for example, a 鈥渨ant [lack] of reticence鈥� is a fault that might be met with 鈥渟everity.鈥�

When I read recently in The New York Times that athletic associations 鈥渉ave been reticent to confront Chinese authorities,鈥� I was bothered. Here, reticent means 鈥渞eluctant鈥� or 鈥渉esitant,鈥� and to me, this seemed like an error.聽

Reader, I was wrong. Using reticent as a synonym for reluctant is perfectly correct today, whether or not Eliot would agree or the College Board would give credit for that answer. It is easy to see how this change happened. English borrowed reticence pretty much unchanged from either French (谤茅迟颈肠别苍肠别) or Latin (reticentia) in the early 17th century. These words both meant 鈥渁voidance of speech, silence,鈥� and that鈥檚 what the English version meant as well.

The adjective reticent first appeared in 1825 in a description of someone as 鈥渜uiet, retired, and reticent.鈥� By 1875, however, as Merriam-Webster explains, 鈥渋nstead of just describing those who are reluctant to speak, it was being used to describe those who are just plain reluctant.鈥� Reticent has meant 鈥渞eluctant鈥� almost as long as it has meant 鈥渞eserved.鈥澛�

Many language mavens have agitated against this 鈥渘ew鈥� use that actually isn鈥檛 so new. In 1981, columnist William Safire asserted, 鈥淵ou cannot be reticent to do or say anything; that鈥檚 when to use 鈥榬eluctant鈥� or 鈥榟esitant.鈥欌�� You might declare that you are 鈥渞eticent to start going back to the office鈥� and everyone will understand you, but, according to Mr. Safire, this is 鈥渁 solecism, a mistake.鈥� More recently, Robert M. Martin, who writes about language, admitted that this use 鈥渕ight be nearing acceptability.鈥澛�

Author of 鈥淢odern American Usage鈥� Bryan Garner would prefer that speakers differentiate between reticent and reluctant, yet puts their conflation at 鈥淟anguage Change Stage Four,鈥� using a scale of one being 鈥渞ejected鈥� and five as 鈥渇ully accepted.鈥� Despite the efforts of Mr. Safire et al., this usage is 鈥渧irtually universal,鈥� Mr. Garner says.

I think we do lose something if reticent comes to mean nothing more than reluctant. In our social media world that rewards the broadcasting of every thought, how wonderful to remember that quiet, dignified, reserved reticence can be valuable, too.