Know (v)  be aware of; develop an acquaintance

No (d*)  not any; exclamation; negative response
*determiner

We are well aware of the two individual words highlighted today.  Their definitions are familiar and their usage common.  Where could the conundrum occur?

No way!  Know the way.  These similar sounding words do add a bit of interest to the English language.  However, some words ought to come along with caution warnings.  We need to choose wisely to clearly convey our intended message.  Know what you want to say and pick carefully!

I thought I had remembered all the parts of speech taught, but I was wrong!  Do you remember a ‘determiner’?  I surely don’t.  A determiner is a member of a class of words used to modify singular or plural nouns.  There are no students.  There is no ice cream.  No can also be used as an exclamation, adverb or a noun.  Tiny word with lots of versatility!

While researching the usage of no, more information came up of how to say no politely.  Not the pronunciation of the word, but the actual putting no into one’s vocabulary effectively.  I struggle with saying no because I am a bit of a people pleaser and I suffer from FOMO – fear of missing out.  No is not an easy part of my vocabulary.  When I do say it, often it comes out abrupt.  Not always an easy word to gently say; often over emphasized.  Do you struggle with saying no?  It could also be that as kids we were taught that no was backtalk and not appropriate.  Another reason we may wrestle with the word could be we don’t want to disappoint others.  Our natural instinct is to gravitate towards others, not push them away.

Know is one of those strange words that looks nothing like it sounds.  One would expect the spelling to be n-o or n-o-e.  Wherever did the k jump in and how did the w tag on for the ride?  The origin of the silent k words is typically from the Old English when the hard k was actually pronounced.  As the usage evolved and we stopped saying it, the k hung around to keep the word distinguishable from like-sounding words.  Know is powerful.  If you know things, you have knowledge.  There are complex studies of knowledge best left to the experts.  Book knowledge is valuable.  People knowledge makes life interesting. Getting to know someone is to become familiar and form a bond.  Those bonds are the foundation of friendships; a precious commodity now more than ever.

Today’s words have me wondering, how many times do I say no versus how many times do I try to get to know someone or something?  Where is my attention?  In the days ahead, I’m going to be intentional and focus on my knowing rather than my no’s.  How about you?