Linguist Anne Kerzan reframes jargon not as a flaw, but as a specialized lexicon for a profession. It provides useful shortcuts and creates a sense of shared identity for insiders. The negative perception arises from being an outsider or when jargon is used to obscure meaning, such as with corporate euphemisms.
A language's global status is a function of the social, political, and economic power of its speakers. English, once considered a "crude" language spoken on an island, spread through imperialism and the economic rise of English-speaking nations, not because it is an inherently better or simpler language.
With non-native speakers as the majority of English users, the language constantly evolves in diverse ways globally. Efforts to impose a simplified, standard version for business (like "globish") are unlikely to succeed because language is a living system that speakers inherently and creatively adapt, making it impossible to control.
Before becoming a corporate buzzword for mergers, "synergy" first appeared in the 1600s to describe the cooperation between human will and divine grace. It later became jargon in physiology and pharmacology before entering the business lexicon in the 1950s, demonstrating how words evolve across different professional fields.
Frustration with business language isn't just about annoying words. According to linguist Anne Kerzan, it often reflects a deeper societal concern that corporate culture and its values are becoming too dominant in everyday life, expressing a worry about the "outsized" influence of business on society.
In the 19th century, this phrase described an absurd, impossible act, as one cannot physically lift oneself by their own bootstraps. Its meaning has completely inverted over time to signify succeeding through one's own efforts, despite its literal impossibility, highlighting how idioms can radically change meaning.