Definition of

Multivocal

Celtic triskelion

The word "Celtic" is multivocal, since it refers to different issues.

The etymology of multivocal refers us to the compositional element multi- (which refers to “many” ) and to the Latin suffix -vŏcus (referring to what it names ). The multivocal has many meanings .

Opposite of univocal

It is easy to understand what this adjective means if we analyze the univocal term, linked to what always has a single meaning. A univocal message, in this framework, presents a single possible meaning, while a multivocal message lends itself to different interpretations.

In everyday speech, univocal messages tend to be more common than multivocal ones, as long as the conversations revolve around issues that are easy to interpret. When talking about work schedules, what we did the previous day or our upcoming exams, for example, our interlocutor has no reason to read between the lines.

However, when feelings come into play, clarity begins to fade to give way to subtlety. Sentences in which the main verb serves to express the desires or expectations of the speaker do not always have a single possible reading, but are usually multivocal. While "I want a chocolate ice cream" is a univocal sentence, "I want to feel better" can hide various meanings.

poetry

It is often said that poems are multivocal. Due to their abstraction, their allegories and their symbolism, these literary compositions can be understood in different ways: it all depends on the reader.

Just as in almost all artistic and intellectual expressions, there are different points of view regarding the ability to interpret a poem or poetry in general. There are those who think that each person can do their own reading , understand each work with their own tools and that, therefore, they are all valid. But there are also those who are more inclined towards one or a few possible interpretations, accessible through technical knowledge and experience.

Peronism

Take the case of Peronism , a political movement inspired by the thoughts of Juan Domingo Perón , who was Argentine president in three periods (1946-1952, 1952-1955 and 1973-1974). Throughout history, everything from revolutionary left factions to right-wing conservative groups, to promoters of neoliberalism and statist leaders, for example, have been defined as Peronists. That is why it can be said that the idea of ​​Peronism is multivocal: it contains numerous aspects and branches, even opposite or contradictory to each other.

Celtic

The concept of Celtic , on the other hand, is also multivocal. It can be defined based on linguistic, ethnic or historical criteria, to mention a few possibilities.

This term is used, therefore, in various areas, and can refer to the people who spoke the Celtic languages, a branch of the Indo-European languages, or to the various peoples who had this characteristic in common. Since these are so many different communities, we cannot give archaeological or ethnic weight to this concept.

It is also possible to use the word Celtic to talk about European tribal societies that had a common material culture from the first Iron Age , through the Hallstatt period and reaching the so-called La Tène . In this more defined case of this multivocal term, it was coined by Latin and Greek geographers.

Woman meditating

The different interpretations of yoga make it a multivocal concept.

yoga

Yoga is a discipline that is usually described as multivocal. Some people take yoga as a physical exercise, while others focus on its spiritual component.

Furthermore, there are those who do not conceive of a dissociation between the physical and the spiritual. In this way, what is meant by yoga varies according to each individual. Note that this discipline can work for all of them, regardless of how they perceive it, and that is the magic of diversity of opinion.