I sue you, it's Ted talks daily, had the debate in Congress gone another way?

America's first president, George Washington, could be referred to as his Highness George Washington or First Magistrate George Washington. Really, it's an example of how words carry so much meaning in politics and for political leaders. Etymologist Mark Forsyth lays out in his 2012 archive Talk from TED Houses of Parliament the power and meaning of political speech and what we can learn from how those meanings change.

One of my favorite words in the whole of the Oxford English Dictionary is Norley Gosta, just because it sounds so good and what's Nolie Gösta means is a dishonest politician.

Although there was a 19th century newspaper who just to find it rather better, it's nearly Gosta is a fellow who seeks office regardless of party platform or principle, and who, when he wins, gets there by the sheer force of monumental talk.

Not for Southerner.

See, I have no idea what is something to do with words, I assume.

But it's very important that words are at the center of politics and all politicians know they have to try and control language.

It wasn't until, for example, 1771 that the British Parliament allowed newspapers to report the exact words that were said in the debating chamber.

But to really show you how words and politics interact, I want to take you back to the United States of America. Just after they'd achieved independence and they had to face the question of what to call George Washington their leader.

They didn't know what do you call the leader of a Republican country. And this was debated in Congress for ages and ages.

And there were all sorts of suggestions on the table which might have made it.

I mean, some people wanted him to be called chief magistrate.

Washington and other people, his highness, George Washington and other people, protector of the liberties of the people of the United States of America, Washington.

Not that catchy.

Some people just wanted to call him king. They thought it was tried and tested and they weren't even being monarchical, although they had the idea that you could be elected king for a fixed term and, you know, could have worked.

And everybody got insanely bored, actually, because this debate went on for three weeks. And I read a diary of this poor senator who just keeps coming back. I still on this subject.

And the reason for the delay in the boredom was that the House of Representatives were against the Senate and House of Representatives didn't want Washington to get drunk on power. They didn't want to call in King in case that gave him ideas or his successor ideas.

So they wanted to give him the humblest megathrust, pathetic title they could think of. And that title. Was president. President, they didn't invent the title, I mean, it existed before, but it just meant somebody who presides over a meeting. It was like the foreman of the jury and it didn't have much more grandeur than the term foreman or overseer. There were occasional presidents of little colonial councils and bits of government, but it was really a nothing title.

And that's why the Senate objected to it. They said, that's ridiculous. You can't call him president.

This guy has to go and sign treaties and meet foreign dignitaries.

And who's going to take him seriously if he's got a silly little title like president of the United States of America and after three weeks of debate in the end.

The Senate. Did not cave in. Instead, they agreed to use the title president for now. But they also wanted it absolutely set down that they didn't agree with it.

From a decent respect for the opinions and practice of civilized nations, whether under a Republican or monarchical forms of government whose custom it is to annex to the office of the chief magistrate, titles of respectability, not bloody president, and that in the intercourse with foreign nations, the majesty of the people of the United States may not be hazarded by an appearance of singularity, i.e., we don't want to look like bloody widows. They can and three interesting things from this.

First of all, and this is my favorite, is that so far as I've ever been able to find out, the Senate has never formally endorsed the title of president. Second thing you can learn is that when a government says this is a temporary measure.

You can still be waiting 223 years later, but the third thing you can learn, and this is a really important one, is the point I want to leave you on is that the title president of the United States of America doesn't sound that humble at all these days, does it?

The largest economy in the world and a fleet of drones and all that sort of stuff. Reality and history have in doubt that title with grandeur. And so the Senate won in the end, they got their title of respectability and also the Senate saw the worry, the appearance of singularity, well, it was a singularity back then.

And so in the end, the Senate won and the House of Representatives lost. Because nobody is going to feel that humble when they're told that they are now the president of the United States of America. And that's the important lesson I think you can take away, and the one I want to leave you with, politicians, try to pick words and use words to shape reality and control reality.

But in fact, reality changes words far more than words can ever change reality. Thank you very much. Ted talks daily, is hosted by me, Elise Hu, and produced by Ted, the music is from Allison Layton Brown. In our Mixu is Christopher Fazi Bogon. We record the talks at TED events we host or from TED events which are organized independently by volunteers all over the world. And we'd love to hear from you. Leave us a review on Apple podcasts or email us at Podcast's at Tecum PUREX.