The Fast Evolution of English Language
All languages are fast-evolving but how noticeable is the change in the English language? Did it ever occur to you how the English we speak today compare to that which was spoken decades ago? Today itself one would have great difficulty in understanding Old English. Old English evolved to Middle English, then to Early Modern English and now it has taken the form as a language we are familiar with.
How is evolution taking place?
Millennials today frequently use terms which their parents are unfamiliar with. The parent’s generation has been oblivious to the use of acronyms such as YOLO or LOL or TTYL. We cannot ignore the fact that technology is fast shaping the language we use. Also, the ease of travel is fast changing the language. As an increasing number of cultures intermingle there is a greater scope and opportunity to pick up new vocabulary as the phrases we are familiar with slowly become obsolete. It would not be wrong to say that the frequent movement of people across geographies has a large and strong influence on the evolution of the language. Also, new vocabulary is required for new inventions, mostly in domestic appliances and industrial equipment which then gets added to the vocabulary.
More subtle changes
In the modern version of the language “shall” and “ought” are barely used while the use of “should” and “can” is relatively more frequent. Also in sentences such as “they liked reading/to read”, it is the shift from “to” to “ing” which is more evident. While the language evolves fast, the dictionaries which are the arbiters of the official language aren’t stagnant either. Editors regularly add new words which are found in popular usage. As the world changes people are often combining words as well. Take for example the words such as “motel” and “smog”. Some verbs haven’t been common till recently-take for instance “parenting.”
As the English language evolves faster than ever, so does the needs of the English language users. Hence, the language will continue to change in the future as well. Change after all will only make it easier to express and communicate.
