AlMeteb 1 Essay 3: Examination of a Word Assignment: This 4 to 6 page essay will require you to choose one meaningful word to you. It can be a word for which you are already very familiar, or a new word you learned this semester; however, it must be a content word rather than a function word, as we discussed in class (i.e. content words are nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and full verbs, whereas function words are prepositions, pronouns, determiners, conjunctions, particles and auxiliary verbs). In this academic, thesis driven essay, you should: · carefully define what the word is and its part of speech (which could be included in the definition) · explain why the word is meaningful to you, including how and why you interpret the word the way you do · argue why it’s a significant word in our language today · illustrate how the word has changed over time (i.e. sick used to mean “physically ill,” now it has evolved into “cool” or “awesome”) · describe in detail how this word could potentially affect other people who hear it, or are called it · describe how the word affects you If you need help expanding your essay, consider these questions as you construct your work: · Why did you decide to choose this word? · Most words change in their definition over time; to what extent has this word you’ve chosen changed? Has it changed very much? Very little? In what way? · Do you wish to argue that the word’s meaning should be changed? · Do you have a significant personal experience with this word? Did hearing this word, or being called this word, make you feel great? Happy? Enthusiastic? Offended? Sad? Angry? Ultimately, the essay should concern itself with the word’s meaning to you and how you perceive its impact on other people, not what the dictionary or other people perceive it to be. You must, however, cite the dictionary to define the word in contrast to how you define it, and at least two other academic sources (you may not use Wikipedia). Objectives: · demonstrate your expertise in structuring paragraphs in the statement, support, example method · effectively use the rhetorical tools of definition, cause and effect, and argument and persuasion to clearly express your thoughts · illuminate the exigence (or important purpose) of your topic · produce writing that contains vivid details, significance, and evidence that supports claims that you make (i.e. what do you want a reader to learn from what you’ve written based on a combination of facts and opinions?) · exhibit critical thinking skills that prove you’ve carefully reflected on the topic Rules: · must use a minimum of three academic sources · must adhere to MLA format · must be carefully proofread, and checked for grammar and spelling · must be stapled, typewritten in 12 point Times New Roman Font · thoughtfully titled · must follow explicitly what this assignment is asking you to do · must not be a narrative essay that tells a story; this is a research paper based on your observations a.

1. AlMeteb 1
Essay 3: Examination of a Word
Assignment: This 4 to 6 page essay will require you to choose
one meaningful word to you. It can be a word for which you are
already very familiar, or a new word you learned this semester;
however, it must be a content word rather than a function word,
as we discussed in class (i.e. content words are nouns,
adjectives, adverbs, and full verbs, whereas function words are
prepositions, pronouns, determiners, conjunctions, particles and
auxiliary verbs). In this academic, thesis driven essay, you
should:
· carefully define what the word is and its part of speech (which
could be included in the definition)
· explain why the word is meaningful to you, including how and
why you interpret the word the way you do
· argue why it’s a significant word in our language today
· illustrate how the word has changed over time (i.e. sick used
to mean “physically ill,” now it has evolved into “cool” or
“awesome”)
· describe in detail how this word could potentially affect other
people who hear it, or are called it
· describe how the word affects you
If you need help expanding your essay, consider these questions
as you construct your work:
· Why did you decide to choose this word?
· Most words change in their definition over time; to what
extent has this word you’ve chosen changed? Has it changed
very much? Very little? In what way?
· Do you wish to argue that the word’s meaning should be
changed?
· Do you have a significant personal experience with this word?
Did hearing this word, or being called this word, make you feel
great? Happy? Enthusiastic? Offended? Sad? Angry?

2. Ultimately, the essay should concern itself with the word’s
meaning to you and how you perceive its impact on other
people, not what the dictionary or other people perceive it to be.
You must, however, cite the dictionary to define the word in
contrast to how you define it, and at least two other academic
sources (you may not use Wikipedia).
Objectives:
· demonstrate your expertise in structuring paragraphs in the
statement, support, example method
· effectively use the rhetorical tools of definition, cause and
effect, and argument and persuasion to clearly express your
thoughts
· illuminate the exigence (or important purpose) of your topic
· produce writing that contains vivid details, significance, and
evidence that supports claims that you make (i.e. what do you
want a reader to learn from what you’ve written based on a
combination of facts and opinions?)
· exhibit critical thinking skills that prove you’ve carefully
reflected on the topic
Rules:
· must use a minimum of three academic sources
· must adhere to MLA format
· must be carefully proofread, and checked for grammar and
spelling
· must be stapled, typewritten in 12 point Times New Roman
Font
· thoughtfully titled
· must follow explicitly what this assignment is asking you to
do
· must not be a narrative essay that tells a story; this is a
research paper based on your observations and research as well
as both the use of facts and your opinions

3. First name last name
Professor
English
8 may 2013
Love, Lufu, *Lubo
The world is a diverse place where people encounter many
concepts, such as faith, belief, hope, friendship and love. A very
powerful sensation known to be ‘love’ would be one of the most
common concepts in life. Love is a complex matter with an
infinite spectrum of meaning that has lost its strength in value
over time. The word love could be used as either a noun in the
case of mentioning a count or mass noun or a verb when
referring to an object (Simeon). I choose the noun. The
ponderous meaning of this noun reveals many opening passages
to the romantic history of love tales and how the meaning of
love developed multiple definitions over time.
This essay can only briefly touch the true definition of
what love really means, since it resonates on many variegated
degrees. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, love as a

4. noun is defined as “a strong feeling of affection” (“Definition
of love...")
The word love has a history of its own, whose origins are
rooted in ancient history. The definition on the Online
Etymology Dictionary is “Old English lufu "love, affection,
friendliness," from Proto-Germanic *lubo (cf. Old High German
liubi "joy," German Liebe "love;" Old Norse, Old Frisian, Dutch
lof; German Lob "praise;" Old Saxon liof, Old Frisian liaf,
Dutch lief, Old High German liob, German lieb, Gothic liufs
"dear, beloved” (Harper).
Love is not a modern word. Indeed it is a word that is
expanding over time from its root meaning and its power.
During the 15th century of the Medieval and Elizabethan times
when love was brought up in discussions it referred to
partnership. Courtly love was the most common type of love in
the middle ages. Women and men were not allowed to show
their love regardless their wealth or any type of ranking in
society. An example of courtly love was found in Legend of
King Arthur and how his wife Guinevere fell in love with
another man, Lancelot (Alchin).
Another type of love in the 15th century of the middle ages
was betrothal love. In some families during that era (mostly
royalty) when a child was born he/she was promised to another
child of the opposing sex for marriage. The purpose of betrothal
marriage was not about love; it was all about cultural tradition,
protection of one’s status and the ties between families.
Betrothal marriage believed that love would come along over
time after marriage and in that way the betrothed couples were
prevented from having sex, which was an illegal act in the
marriage agreement. The little details of caring and how to use
and control love proved how much people in the middle ages
cherished love as a concept and showed great respect toward it.
(Lewis).
Customary to twenty-first century living, people can use
the word love to express the feeling toward anything we like
tremendously. The concept of love was twisted into multiple

5. definitions where feeling love for anything would still be the
same meaning but with a slight distinction. An example of this
distinction is referring to love when someone really likes a
book, and at the same time expresses love to his or her partner.
In this case the meaning is the same but the level of affection
differs. Dealing with love as a noun has different levels of
understanding depending on what it refers to. Based on how the
word is used should determine how the word is expressed. As a
result of redefine the actual definition it diminished the value
and concentration that caused it to lose its strength and the
position in the spectrum.
The history of what love really means tells that its vital
affection was more powerful than how it is modified over time.
Love used to carry one exact meaning and nothing more than
that one meaning, but eventually it evolved into a more complex
definition.
Love plays a large part to every human being, in regards of
fulfilling the needs of a living biological structure. The
affection of love could be a simple or extreme feeling and still
lead to the same idea but at different stages. Scientific facts of
chemistry proved that the feeling of love allows the body to
release a chemical called neurochemical, gives a person a good
feeling of happiness and excitement inside the body
(Kudasheva). The love of a mother given toward her child
differs from the love being shared between the mother and the
father, as well as the brotherly and sisterly love between
siblings, and of course that love differs from animal and plant
loving ("Why Is Love Important...”).
Falling in love drives a person by a strong inner feeling
whether mentally or physically. Just like most concepts in life,
there is always positive and negative effect on human beings.
People who have or have not experienced the feeling of love
have different opinions about it. Some people love to love,
some people don’t really know, while others hate it. Usually
when a person is involved in a relationship they get affected by
it either positively or negatively. When a person has had a bad

6. experience, for example going through an obvious breakup, they
start to become beleaguered, depressed and emotionally
devastated, but that is only in the case of love. If a person is
experiencing a relationship that is flowing the right way, it is
most likely to reflect on how they feel which would be positive
and full of relief and happiness. Scientifically being happy is
great for a person’s health.
Niall Ó Dónaill once said: “We all want to fall in love.
Why? Because that experience makes us feel completely alive.
Where every sense is heightened, every emotion is magnified,
our everyday reality is shattered and we are flying into the
heavens. It may only last a moment, and hour, an afternoon. But
that doesn't diminish its value. Because we are left with
memories that we treasure for the rest of our lives” ( Dónaill).
Going through the process of love always brings along
some sort of sacrifice, it teaches us a lesson of negotiation. It
also brings along commitment. Love may also imply
commitment, which is a key for successful relationship between
people. As the level of love from one stage differs from another,
the obstacles come along differently as well.
For example, Eros love is a type of love that is all about
what each individual has as a physical trait and reputation, and
it is more about benefiting from one another. Philos love is
friendship love that develops into sexual love. Unlike Eros love,
Philoslove is the ability to give and get back love with no
personal benefits. The most powerful and passionate kind would
be unconditional love, also known as agape love. Agape love is
considered unconditional love, which is all about the continuous
wanting to keep giving feeling and not waiting for anything in
return (C).
I chose the word love because it is a very meaningful word
to me. The word love can be interpreted in many surprising and
entertaining ways. I feel as though I wouldn’t have been in the
situation I am if it wasn’t for love, because the strength it
dispenses to my choices in life causes me to be a stronger
person today than I was yesterday and I am positive it would

7. make me even more powerful tomorrow.
The feeling I obtain from the remarkable feeling of love is
the compassion that allows me to want to progress at that
passion I feel for. It goes as simple as loving a specific major
and wanting to work at this field later in life is when the
eagerness to do well in the classes within this field comes in. It
is as simple as shedding a tear when you know that someone
close to the heart is in a messed condition between life and
death, in fear of losing them. To me, that is what love is; it is
the bond between the heart and the brain and how imagining life
without him, her or even it would be.
Since love is a word that involves many contributions to it,
it kept obtaining different adjustments which kept it more
complex in meaning. Maybe love will develop into a more
ponderous definition that it has, or maybe it would mean
multiple definition than it already has, where it will start being
a negative concept and sounds like the opposite of what it really
meant. People should start showing more respect and
appreciation for the word love or else it may lose its meaning or
even become extinct
Love is a complex matter with multiple definitions, which
has lost its concentration of power due to its many ways of
usage, and how it led to changes over time. Even though the
word love has always been present in history and through the
years, it has always meant affection in all the ways of its usage
even at different levels. Since love has great effect it can
always help people find their ways around in the journey of
their lives, because love is a sensational concept.

8. Works Cited
Alchin, Linda. "Courtly Love." Middle Ages. N.p., 20 Sept.
2012. Web. 1 May 2013.
C, Alex. "Seeker of Truth: The 3 Types of Love." Seeker of
Truth. N.p., 4 May 2005. Web. 1 May 2013.
"Definition of love in Oxford Dictionaries (British & World
English)." Oxford Dictionaries Online. Oxford University Press,
2013. Web. 1 May 2013.
Dónaill, Niall. "Quote by -: We all want to fall in love. Why?
Because that ..." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2013.
Harper, Douglas. "love (n.)." Online Etymology Dictionary.
Douglas Harper, 2012. Web. 1 May 2013.
Kudasheva, Dina. "Chemistry Of Love." Atomic Scale Design
Network (ASDN): Educational Webportal. N.p., n.d. Web. 7
May 2013.
Lewis , Angie. "Betrothal vs. Dating." Heaven Ministries -
Marriage Healing Ministry. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2013.
"Why Is Love Important – Importance of Love in Life."
Lifestyle Lounge - Online Lifestyle Magazine - Lifestyle
Management Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2013.