Different Meanings of the Word “Gift”

Words play an important role in communicating by language in every society. They are
powerful, and when used correctly can enhance the purpose, generate encouragement, and
even resolve conflict. Through the learning materials in the course, it is clear that words help
mold our social realities as well as building our interpersonal relationships. Although the
rules of an effective communication might be similar across different groups, the choice of
word used could have different meanings to different people. For instance, the word gift is a
culturally and spiritually diverse word that can change meaning depending on the context or
place used. While growing up, my mom often told me that I was a special gift, so from an
early age the word ‘gift’ had a valuable meaning to me. I would later find out that gift also
refers to other things such as when a person is exceptionally skilled at something or material
items specifically bought and presented to loved one to communicate love and care. In our
society, the word “gift” means different things to different people depending on the context.
For instance, an expectant mother would say that she is carrying a gift inside her womb, a
dating couple might get each other valuable items such as watches and jewelry as gifts to
communicate their love, or a mother could buy her child a bicycle as a reward for good
academic performance. Hence, the word “gift” can be intelligible, cultural, and stories, as
well as have different meanings to people depending on the context of use.
Definition
According to the Merriam-Webster a gift (noun) means “a notable capacity, talent, or
endowment”, “something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without
compensation”, or “the act, right, or power of giving”. Although this is the standard definition
of gift in the English language, it might not specifically have the same meaning when used
differently. For instance, in Christianity, a spiritual gift refers to an extraordinary power
endowed by the Holy Spirit. As such, the word gift for Christians might have the meaning of
a specially chosen person who might command followership or special talents such as
healing, exhortation, giving, wisdom, prophecy among others.
Significance and Meaning in Our Society
The word “gift” has several meanings to me. I perceive a gift as something priceless
whose value cannot be equated to anything manmade. Hence, a gift is symbolic of value and
sentiment, and this sense of value is not affected by time. For instance, I believe my parents’
love, affection, and upbringing are valuable gift, and their sense of value cannot change
regardless of the nature of our relationship. I would also perceive a person highly skilled in
their craft as gifted, meaning that they will knowledge and expertise in that field effortlessly.
In addition, I consider influential figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. as highly gifted due
to their ability to persuade and unite people on a unified goal.
In our society, I believe the word gift has different meanings depending on the context.
For instance, a professor who is highly skilled and has great leadership qualities might be
perceived as a “gift” to students, meaning that they have great value. We also perceive skill
as gift in other fields such as sports, academics, and social life. A great scorer in the
basketball team would be deemed as highly gifted. In this case, the word gift is equated to
prowess. Similarly, a highly talented doctor might also be referred to as a gift to many due to

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the power to save people’s lives. As a word of choice during verbal communication, referring
to an individual’s expertise on a particular matter might lead to a more positive response than
using common words. For instance, the two sentences: “You are very good at your work” or
“You are truly gifted” could elicit different response due to the intensity of the word “gift”.
The first sentence appears as a simple appreciation of someone’s work, whereas the second
sentence implies your unshaken belief, awe, and appreciation of the receiver’s skills.
Cultural Meaning of the Word “Gift”
Similar to many words that have different meanings across different cultures, the
concept of “gift” in my culture is different compared to other cultures such as American or
African American. For instance, the culture associated with gifts or gifting in China is more
about material items given to people to show respect, hospitality, friendship, or gratitude.
Hence, the etiquette of gift giving in China is unique and somehow different from the
Western approach. There is customary reciprocity in interpersonal relationship in the Chinese
culture, and people understand the value of gifting as key in maintaining and building
relationships. As a young child, I did not understand why my parents always brought a gift
when invited somewhere, as it did not seem important to other people. However, I soon learnt
that gifts are the most suitable way of showing gratitude in the Chinese culture. There is even
a certain way that people are expected to receive gifts. The recipient must receive the gift
with both hands and refrain from opening the gift in front of the giver. In contrast, people
readily open gifts in front of the giver in Western culture. This example of gift as an integral
a cultural element shows how diversely the same word might be adopted in different cultures
across the globe.
Christian’s view of the word Gift
The Christian view of the word gift continues to show us that words play a huge role in
shaping our realities. In the reality of Christians, a gift is viewed as an acquisition from the
Holy Spirit. They are viewed as empowerments from higher power. Among them include the
gifts of healing, performing miracles and speaking in tongues. The gifts are viewed as strong
points for building stronger Christianity. Gifts cannot be given by anyone in the Christian
community and come from one source, the Holy Spirit. This is a completely different
perspective of the word gift. This gifts apparently cannot be received by anyone as normal
gifts. They are only received by staunch Christians who are strong believers and live
according to the commandments written in the Bible. Gifts are normally tangible in many
other cultures where the receiver sees what they are given. This is not the case in Christianity
as gifts of the Holy Spirit are not tangible and can only be witnessed through actions such as
healing and speaking in tongues among others. When discussing gifts, it is therefore
important to understand the context of the gifts being discussed and the person one is
discussing gifts with. One can jump into conclusion easily and assume that the gifts on
discussion are tangible gifts but to their surprise, they were in Christianity context and meant
something totally different.
Hinduism
To further explore the meaning of gifts, we decode what this word means among the
Hindu community. Gifts among Hindus mean what we give each other without any
expectation whatsoever of any reward from either the giver or the receiver. Gifting, giving
and charities are tied among the Hindu. They have a principle of sharing resources among
each other and particularly the less privileged in the society. Through giving and sharing they
are able to leave a happier life. In order to be able to give, they intentionally detach from their

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wealth. This means that they can engage in acts of sharing what they have easily with others
through a process gifting. Among the Hindu, material prosperity is viewed as important but
gaining wealth for individual greed is against gifting and righteous living. Hindus have a
principle of righteous living that involves gifting. This serves to increase our understanding
of how the word gift is used among different groups of people and how we can understand
the word better when communicating with people from diverse groups.
Islam
Islam or Muslims have a different perspective when it comes to gifts. Gifts are given
out as a show of love, respect, affection in addition to goodwill towards another person. Gifts
among Muslims are given out as a way of strengthening the bond among the giver and the
recipient. It helps strengthen friendships. Gifts are viewed as offerings to another. Also, gifts
are given for Allah’s sake whereby the person giving out the gifts intends to receive a reward
later in their life or in their afterlife as a result of giving out the gift specifically in a scenario
whereby the recipient is poor or it is as a charity case. Gifts among Muslims are also a way of
eliminating malice from the hearts of the person getting the gift. Gifts are not viewed among
Muslims in terms of their price tag but rather the intentions, whereby they say t is the heart
which is the giver and the purest of hearts gives more. This is a unique perspective of gifting
and can entirely change meaning of communication when talking about gifts with this group
of people when one has a different background.
Interpretivist Picture
The interpretivist picture is likely to take on different meanings of the word gift and not
a linear one. Interpretivist scholars view communication from a different spectrum as
creative, active, dynamic, and finally as flawed (Strom & Agodzo, 2018). They never see a
word or phrase as having a singular meaning. They believe in polysemy or rather numerous
meanings and can factor Christian views, Islam views, Muslim views and others views of the
word gift when trying to understand context and meaning in a phrase. With time, people tend
to have the same meaning linked to words and phrases from those from their culture and
those they interact with on a regular basis. When a whole community have common values
and assumption, members develop a uniform meaning. On the other hand, interpretivist
normally depend on observations, concept and reason in decoding and understanding
meaning. They never rely on science or emotions. Interpretivist have been critical in
understanding books, films and video games and can be instrumental in communication.
Conclusion
The art of communication is diverse, and certain phrases or words can be intelligible,
cultural, and storied. One such word is “gift”. To some people, the word might allude to
something tangible, while to others it might mean something abstract. In this case, the
significance of the word is different across different regions of the world, to different culture,
and even in different religious and spiritual contexts. In my perspective, the significance of
the word gift is something valuable, both tangible and intangible. To some people, the value
attached to gifts might be higher or lower, depending on the situation or belief system. For
instance, a spiritual gift is highly relevant among Christian communities but non-existent in
other cultures where spirituality is not central. In an interpretivist perspective, communication
is dynamic, creative, and even flawed. Therefore, the word “gift” is bound to have several
meanings that might differ based on other factors such as beliefs, practices, and knowledge. I
have always marveled at how communication systems are slightly different in different parts
of the world. Undoubtedly, my retrospective view on the use of the word “gift” across

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different cultures and groups is representative of how communication is complex but
interconnected at the same time.

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References

Strom, Bill and Agodzo, Divine (2018).  More Than Talk:  A Covenantal Approach to
Everyday Communication, 5th edition. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing
Company.