TO pontificate in a dogmatic manner is always quite dangerous. Even more dangerous is to pronounce on a matter, without doing adequate research. After all, ‘a little bit of knowledge is most dangerous.’

I write in response to Mr. Autry A. Fernandes’ “Vacation classes not summer classes” (July 26, 2011, SN). My point is not to disparage in any way at all. In fact, my quote on a ‘little knowledge’ is from personal experience. I was once berated (rightly so) when I spoke with great insufficiency of knowledge. I also have deep appreciation for Mr. Fernandes, manifesting a great concern in matters of language. It is a most important facet of education in Guyana, and yes, I agree that the media fraternity and teachers are quite guilty of being sloppy.

First, the word ‘summer’ (Consult a couple of dictionaries) in a literal sense is really the:
1.      Warmest season of the year, occurring between spring and autumn and constituting June, July, and August in the Northern Hemisphere, or, as calculated astronomically, extending from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox.
2.       A period of fruition, fulfilment, happiness, or beauty.
3.      A period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation, especially one with pay granted to an employee.
4.      A holiday.
5.      A fixed period of holidays, especially one during which a school, court, or business suspends activities.

So there is no need to be baffled when one hears or reads “…about summer classes, being held in Guyana.”  Our dry season is really a summer season. Also, ‘summer, according to number two above, is a culmination season. It is like the peaking period. I also disagree with Mr. Fernandes in analyzing and saying that “…summer’ happens to be alien to our Guyanese tradition”.  (h) We become copycats, forsaking our own identity.” This is far from so. In this day and age of facile communication, language is in daily fluidity, and words will expand their meanings. (The same is true for other aspects of culture-habits, dress codes, music etc). So I counter by saying that there is no need to ‘kick against the pricks. Summer is not singular in meaning, and it can mean more than the literal. Just think that ‘nice’ was really an ugly word at one time, and that language is not monolithic.

Editor’s note-  Mr. Fernandes’ contention was not from a linguistic point of view but rather from one of Geography. According to the Geography experts: “Not all tropical countries have the same climate, but they all have a limited range in their temperatures and less climate change over a year than is found in other zones. Their climate is distinguished chiefly by wet and dry seasons. The flora and fauna of tropical countries differ as well, and while palm trees do grow in many places, they also grow outside the tropics.”