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What does the phrase “Words are But Wind” mean?

Katya Koroleva
Katya Koroleva
What does the phrase “Words are But Wind” mean?
Hello Dear! I'm a bit puzzled about the explanation of the phrase "words are but wind." Could you clarify if it means that words are fleeting like the wind, or rather if it suggests that words have an impactful force similar to the wind?
Katya_Koroleva
1
Last update: 3 months ago
1 answers
Mary Garcia
Mary Garcia
Mary Ga. - Tutor account
Near Native Speaker
Philippines

A good day to you, Katya Koroleva.


In the phrase “words are but wind”, words are being compared to wind. The wind is flowing and once gone it can’t be brought back, likewise, the words that already flowed out of our mouths are words we cannot take back. 


It is not suggesting that the words have an impactful force, rather it is insinuating that the words are unsteady and unreliable. Like the wind that we can't hold on to, someone's words may sometimes be unreliable and untrustworthy. 


This phrase was used by Shakespeare in “The Comedy of Errors”. He highlighted in this play that words are something that can’t be seen (just like the wind) and we should focus on people’s actions instead.

0
Last update: 6 months ago
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