The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

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Chapter 6 - Peculiarities of Masonic Language
from the language he speaks. And thus, it is also wrong to generalize that
Masons "love abbreviations" or "have a predilection for metaphors, comparisons,
or anagrams," while it is true that in Masonic literature, there is little down-toearth
text. The Masonic language simply offers a great variety of rhetorical
possibilities, and the highly educated Mason uses them.
Within their own group, Masons will certainly use their metaphorical
expressions more freely. Furthermore, the prevalent romanticism and
melancholy in the 19 th century caused many Masons to strew metaphors into
their speeches, a habit which now, in more informal times, has quite
understandably vanished. Many of the specialties of the Masonic language have
also disappeared with the time, for example the use of the different Masonic
calendars. However, in the Masonic language there exist certain customs or
"rules" that are almost as uniform as the signs. These are, for example, the titles,
certain metaphors (for God, heaven, death, etc.), the toasts, the place names and
directions according to the four points of the compass, the strange hours and
ages, etc. And of course the Masonic abbreviations. But does "G.O." mean
"Grand Orient," "Grand Orator," "Grand Organist," or "Grand Overseer"? The
following sections show that abbreviations can be problematic.
A Mason who has studied his own history should be aware of the
peculiarities of "his language" and know them. But we are sure that a great
number of today's Masons have never heard about most features of their
technical language, which merely remains a vast field of study for the researcher.
Possibly, just like the Masonic tour guide to whom we have spoken 1029 and who
did not know that the year 1969 would be 5969 in Masonry (Anno Lucis) - and
who did not know the expression "widow's sons," either! - not many Master
Masons would know that they are "seven years of age." This development is to
be regretted, but such is our experience. Much of the symbolism of Masonic
parlance has fallen into oblivion.
The following discussion shows several peculiarities of the Masonic diction
that are not found in any other kind of in-group language. The topics are
arranged in alphabetic order. Some terms are archaic, most are not. Profanes will
never encounter a Masonic speaker of this time using a great many of them
together; and if they were to, they would not understand much of it.
6.1 Abbreviations
Abbreviations in Masonry serve two different purposes - first, there are the
ones that were invented for mere convenience, and second, there are those that
have the function of concealing a secret. To the first category belong most of the
examples that we will list; otherwise, they would not have been printed in
1029
Visit to a Masonic exhibition in the Preußen-Museum in Wesel in 2000; conversation with the
Masonic tour guide.