From my research, dictionaries seem to commonly share the idea that being wild means someone or something is unregulated or uncontrolled. These descriptions tend to appear more negative in tone, linking words like \u201cviolent and barbaric\u201d to describe the manner of \u201cwild\u201d, mainly referring to supposedly uncivilized tribes in unexplored lands. Being wild can also indicate an attunement to nature and being free with dictionaries using \u201cland, country, and animal\u201d as examples of the use of the word. On the other hand, dictionaries also describe \u201cwild\u201d more positively by using it to describe circumstances that are excitingly unusual. Overall, the word wild as described by dictionaries conjures the image of an unkempt & vicious savage who is more beast than man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In my own life, my use of \u201cwild\u201d lines up with how dictionaries describe it positively. My experiences with using the word come mostly from attempting to speak like a \u201c90\u2019s skater kid\u201d, mixing it with other words like \u201crad\u201d and \u201csick\u201d. Falling in line with this, I regularly use wild to describe any kind of exciting action or event I came across, often combining it with various curse words to enhance how spectacular I thought it was. Meanwhile, I generally shun using wild negatively, focusing primarily on how the dictionary links being wild to being uncultured. I believe that when the word is used to describe tribes, it leans on being insensitive as most tribes are just as civilized as the common city, just in a different way that many don\u2019t seem to understand or respect. The use of the word feels like a holdover from the old eras of colonization which leads to associations of tribes to the wild wilderness that they live in, & paints the picture of “savage beasts of the land” that I feel discredits their way of life.
– Kenny Ly<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
From my research, dictionaries seem to commonly share the idea that being wild means someone or something is unregulated or uncontrolled. These descriptions tend to appear more negative in tone, linking words like \u201cviolent and barbaric\u201d to describe the manner … Continue reading