I like reading books. And I like to read printed copies rather than electronic manuscripts. I have a small library of hardcover books and paperback novels in my home. I regularly borrow books from the Moose Jaw Public Library. I get pleasure out of the tactile experience of holding a book in my hands and reading words on paper pages.
Tactile means of, relating to, or being the sense of touch. It refers to things being perceptible and experienced by touch.
Tactile has many relatives in English, from the synonymous tangible to familiar words like intact, tact, tangent, contingent and entire. All of these can be traced back to the Latin verb tangere, meaning “to touch.” Tactile was first used by English speakers in the early 1600s from the Latin adjective tactilis meaning tangible. Tangible means capable of being perceived by the sense of touch, substantially real. Tangible can also be defined as capable of being precisely identified or realized by the mind. One might use the expression, “Her grief was tangible.” It also means capable of being appraised at an actual or approximate value. The old coin he found hidden in his grandfather’s drawer had tangible value.
Something that's tangible can be touched. A rock is tangible, and so is a broken window; if the rock is lying next to the window, it could be tangible evidence of vandalism. When we say that the tension in a room is tangible, we mean we feel it so strongly that it seems almost physical. But if we're being literal, tension, like hope, happiness, and hunger, are intangible, they can't be touched but are real. When lawyers talk about an intangible asset, they might mean something like a company's good standing, very valuable, but not touchable.
Tactile is also related in meaning to corporeal. In various religions, including Christianity, corporeal existence is often termed the opposite of spiritual existence. The word is also used by philosophers, especially when considering the nature of reality. For lawyers, corporeal describes physical property such as houses or cars, as opposed to something valuable but nonphysical like a good reputation.
Since the advent of film and television a new sense appears to be developing for tactile. It is increasingly used to suggest that something visual is particularly reminiscent or suggestive of a certain texture. Also, computer touch screens provide a tactile encounter for the user.
I remember an incident at a party when I was in high school. We had finished the school musical and were enjoying a cast party at a farmyard of one of the actors. He maintained that the loft in the old barn was haunted by the ghost of a long dead suicide victim. There was something particularly strange about that old barn and some of the party goers claimed that they saw something shining in the loft later that night. However, at no point did it seem there was a spectre of tactile reality.
In literature and journalism there are ways to elevate your writing using various types of imagery. Tactile imagery engages the sense of touch. It describes what you can physically feel, such as temperature, movement, texture, and other sensations. A gust of cold air blew over her, causing her body to shiver. After she pulled the fuzzy blanket up to her chin, she was warm and cozy. His legs ached after climbing so many flights of stairs, and he could feel the flush in his face. He couldn’t wait to get out of his sticky, sweaty clothes and let the cool, soothing water wash over him in the shower. The dog yelped after stepping on a prickly burr, and then I almost yelped when I yanked it from his paw and the prickles pierced my fingers.
My subscription to the magazine Touchstone expires this Fall. I am considering renewing it in electronic form, but I do enjoy the tactile sensation of holding the paper copy as I read through the articles. What a dilemma, satisfy my love for the tactile sensation of reading or save a tree.
John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to [email protected]. Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
