The evoloution of the english language

[Yvl9921]

Before I start... I should mention that I am very seldom 100% serious, and that I have surgically removed all bitterness from myself, somehow, so don't take offense ot anything I say.

I just joined this guild... and I'm quite surprised as to how many people here have such taut beliefs on the english language. Quite honestly... it makes ya'll look like old-timers (Oh I went there!) or at the very least, it makes you look very much bored. VERY much so.

Honestly, I think that at a certain point of understanding, its fine to tamper with the rules of a language a bit. If it catches on, so be it. Languages will get stale and boring after a while, IMO.

So... I tend to put twists on my spelling and grammar. I actually got this idea from my Parakeet, who came up with words such as "Hello theres" when there were multiple people he was addressing. For an example of what I do... double contractions. I'd've, or I'd'a. If this seems atrocious to you, keep in mind Shakespeare did the same thing. In fact, he was the first to say "Woot." (well, woo't, as in wouldst thou, but woot nonetheless)

The fact is... at the point that I go, you can still understand me. If anything, my quirks add to my character (I hope so at least!) I talk online the way I would IRL (BTW I think abbreviations are fine as well -- kinda necessary when playing MMORPGs, and lets your fingers stay lazy.)

Slang, for example, is just a way of expressing your personality. Yo is a form of expression, which is what languages are for... if you understand it the first time you see/hear it, its part of the language, in other words. I never have understood how to respond to "What's up" though.

My bottom line is... learn to evolve. You don't have to change with the language... but is is ridiculously pointless to get irritated even in the slightest over new forms of speech.  

[lola_siannodel]

Yvl

Before I start... I should mention that I am very seldom 100% serious, and that I have surgically removed all bitterness from myself, somehow, so don't take offense ot anything I say.

I just joined this guild... and I'm quite surprised as to how many people here have such taut beliefs on the english language. Quite honestly... it makes ya'll look like old-timers (Oh I went there!) or at the very least, it makes you look very much bored. VERY much so.

Honestly, I think that at a certain point of understanding, its fine to tamper with the rules of a language a bit. If it catches on, so be it. Languages will get stale and boring after a while, IMO.

So... I tend to put twists on my spelling and grammar. I actually got this idea from my Parakeet, who came up with words such as "Hello theres" when there were multiple people he was addressing. For an example of what I do... double contractions. I'd've, or I'd'a. If this seems atrocious to you, keep in mind Shakespeare did the same thing. In fact, he was the first to say "Woot." (well, woo't, as in wouldst thou, but woot nonetheless)

The fact is... at the point that I go, you can still understand me. If anything, my quirks add to my character (I hope so at least!) I talk online the way I would IRL (BTW I think abbreviations are fine as well -- kinda necessary when playing MMORPGs, and lets your fingers stay lazy.)

Slang, for example, is just a way of expressing your personality. Yo is a form of expression, which is what languages are for... if you understand it the first time you see/hear it, its part of the language, in other words. I never have understood how to respond to "What's up" though.

My bottom line is... learn to evolve. You don't have to change with the language... but is is ridiculously pointless to get irritated even in the slightest over new forms of speech.

I never thought slang was wrong. But an expression of one's self, not so much. At least, not where I go. There are plenty of people who use slang to be cool. I, acctualy, use words and phrases like "Ya know?" and "smexy" a lot. The big thing here is the lack of literacy, as in people not reading or writing as much. In fact, thee was a poet (I read one of his poems in english) and alot of the things that he used in his poem seem to be things used in modern day txt tlk and such, when he came of age in the 60s. A huge thing I complain about isn't slang, but the fact that most kids in my high school can hardly read, and that's cp classes. You do seem a bit harsh, but I can see your point.  

[DarkElf27]

There's a difference between change and sheer laziness. Spelling massive amounts of words horribly wrong is not just someone changing the language out of style, it's just ignorance. With what you said, I agree, mostly, but that's not how most people intend it when they screw up grammar.  

[Shrocomemos]

Nuu! You called me an old-timer! gonk
But, I agree with most of what you said. I happen to love the weird words people use online(not txt tlk, things like 'ish').

 

[Ame Yuki Kaze]

I don't really have a problem with slang, as long as it's kept on the street corners. But now it permeates our very culture. When was the last time quaint old words like "fortnight" were used? Can anyone here even define it?

I agree that the language evolves. As new technologies are invented, new words must be added to our lexicon.

However when people start stripping out vowels, consonants and punctuation and misspelling every other word on purpose, just to be cute, that is not evolution, but devolution.

"i lyk 2 typ lyk n idy0t cuz all mah fr3nz d0 lololol!!!!!11111" is the ruination of this language, not the next step.  

[Shrocomemos]

Shinobi 1977

I don't really have a problem with slang, as long as it's kept on the street corners. But now it permeates our very culture. When was the last time quant old words like "fortnight" were used? Can anyone here even define it?

I agree that the language evolves. As new technologies are invented, new words must be added to our lexicon.

However when people start stripping out vowels, consonants and punctuation and misspelling every other word on purpose, just to be cute, that is not evolution, but devolution.

"i lyk 2 typ lyk n idy0t cuz all mah fr3nz d0 lololol!!!!!11111" is the ruination of this language, not the next step.

Agreed.
"Fortnight" is only used in stories now. Isn't it like a measure of time(over days) or something?

 

[Gara0the0panda]

Well, I definatly see your point, using slang on the internet is definatly not bad. However, txt tlk is just plain annoying, in fact a student in my class got caught passing notes, and my teacher couldn't even read it. He said it was gibberish and a deformation of the english language. I agree. IM talk is okay on IM and on places where you have only 200 characters and you have a lot to say. But for the love of humanity, when it cuts into your education and you have to debate with yourself if you can use 'omg' on a school essay, it's a problem. I have actually seen people who behave this way. I have a friend who asked me how to spell a list of 2nd grade words (like cold!) . I asked her to give me a list of a famous txt tlk words, and she gave me two pages full! So, when people gte so lazy that all they do is blunder around in sheer ignorance as they just manage to slide by until their next IMing bout. Thanks for listening to my rant.  

[Gara0the0panda]

*get  

[Doombringer50]

I concah  

[Zealot of Insanity]

Fortnight: 2 weeks, as I recall? sweatdrop  

[KiraLight]

I don't get it..what was the point of that post?  

[La Diavola]

I agree. I mean, I believe in preserving the English language, but a bit of slang doesn't hurt. As long as one uses proper grammar most of the time* and are comprehensible I'm fine with it. But what I'm against is the use of alot of slang. "Yo homie wazzup. Yo is tha shizzz." It's funny, yeah, but when you start talking like that all of the time people can't understand you. I completely support the double contractions. I do those and I don't even mean to sometimes. Personally, I'm in this guild not to be a grammar nazi, but to support doing ones best at being 'literate'.

*try their hardest  

[I am Jaques colon]

Of course it's alright to use slang and abbreviations everynow and then. This is a guild against ignorance of the english language, not the playful twist of it (at least that's what I understood from the guild briefing I recieved). What *I* have an issue with is the folks that'll talk and/or type with almost every word being slang. "Man, I ain't be fonna do dat sheet, dawg. You mus' be ka-ray-zee." Don't take this as a bash on african-americans...I know far more caucasians and asians that talk that way and type that way than I do blacks, and I go to a 70% african-american high school.  

[Jill_Frost]

Funny thing about evolution...

Statistics show that only 1 out of every 1 million spontaneous mutations actually benefit the mutating organism.

So, is txt tlk and new technical slang that 1 in a million shot for the English language? Does it make us faster typers? Oh yes.
Does it make us more legible? Not at first, and only sometimes.
Does it make us smarter? Ummm...
Does it make us cooler? 1337 4ever!!!!!!!!!!!!
Will things really improve due to its existence? Think about it; kids can barely spell and write worth a damn now. This reinforces negative habits.
So, does this help? No.

I hear what you are trying to say, but I'm not buying it. I'll take my chances with a rich but stagnant language over one that was designed by a group of people who can barely read and write their mother tongue.  

[Chocolate Latte]

Really, we think slang is fine. Like
"smexy", "ish", and "ya know". I use those phrases rather often.

What we're against is people talking like this:
ppl tlkin lyk dis.

As in making tremendous changes to one word.