The English Language Keeps on Evolving

[little_bopeep]

You know, I was just thinking the other day about how we don't talk the same way as our ancestors, and I was kinda imagining that English is where it's going to be and won't change much more. Then I came across this article (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070921/od_nm/britain_hyphen1_dc)and realized that because of computers and texting, etc, our written language is going to change more and more to keep up. Which other rules will change, now that the hyphen is changing? And will spoken English evolve further? To me, it's kind of a daunting thought....don't know just how to explain it.

[LakeMartinGal]

Very interesting -- I'm definitely a hyphen-user (;) ), and hope to remain so! I am really concerned that people will forget/never learn how to spell because of texting, etc. Ur or Yr for you are or your is just not acceptable to me -- it takes me longer to read the abbreviations than if they just spelled out the word normally -- but then, I could be a fuddy-duddy!:rolleyes:

[sneezles]

Well, I have to say that of that list of 16 words I don't recall ever using a hyphen for any of them. Some that they list as now compound words would still be two words for me and vise-versa for the two word list.

It is after all a British dictionary and we all know they speak another language!;)

[Terrie53]

Well, I have to say that of that list of 16 words I don't recall ever using a hyphen for any of them. Some that they list as now compound words would still be two words for me and vise-versa for the two word list.

It is after all a British dictionary and we all know they speak another language!;)

I'm definately not a hyphen user and I probably wouldn't have used one for vise versa either! LOL:D

[PAMMELA]

Well it's actually vice versa and there is no hyphen. I'm a total NON-hypen user! :D

[DmOrtega]

I didn't recall these every being hyphenated.

Formerly hyphenated words split in two:

fig leaf

hobby horse

ice cream

pin money

pot belly

test tube

water bed [this I would write as waterbed]

Formerly hyphenated words unified in one:

bumblebee

chickpea

crybaby

leapfrog

logjam

lowlife [I would write this as low life]

pigeonhole [pigeon hole]

touchline

waterborne

[SusanMac]

Our language is definitely always evolving. You just have to watch an episode of Deadwood to learn that :-)

[EllenL]

There was a funny op-ed piece in Newsweek that bemoaned the slow death of commas---thanks to stuff like text messaging, people are writing short sentences like Where R U? and not using longer, more complex sentences that would require commas (the English prof who wrote this even sees less commas in papers written by college students!).

[Terrie53]

Well it's actually vice versa and there is no hyphen. I'm a total NON-hypen user! :D

Thanks for the spell check non hyphen user!! LOL:D

[KristiB]

Ever hear kids speak "IM"?

I've come to hate the word "like". Especially when it's used in place of "said".

[funniegrrl]

The fact is that languages change, period. (No pun intended.) It's inevitable, that is the way it's been since the beginning of time. English would continue to change, and perhaps eventually there would be no "English" whether or not electronic communication entered the picture. In examples at hand, the fact is that the hyphen and comma have been slowly falling out of use for decades. Electronic communication has perhaps hastened it, but it's not the cause. After all, it was electronic mail, then it was e-mail, and now it's usually email.

[honeygirl1971]

The fact is that languages change, period. (No pun intended.) It's inevitable, that is the way it's been since the beginning of time. English would continue to change, and perhaps eventually there would be no "English" whether or not electronic communication entered the picture. In examples at hand, the fact is that the hyphen and comma have been slowly falling out of use for decades. Electronic communication has perhaps hastened it, but it's not the cause. After all, it was electronic mail, then it was e-mail, and now it's usually email.

Exactly! ALL languages change over time. And all languages will continue to evolve as long as there are people to speak them.

[KristiB]

I wonder if people complained when the kids started speaking modern English instead of middle English?:D

[sneezles]

I'm definately not a hyphen user and I probably wouldn't have used one for vise versa either! LOL:D

Well it's actually vice versa and there is no hyphen. I'm a total NON-hypen user! :D

Thanks for the spell check non hyphen user!! LOL:D


Yes, thanks! Heaven forbid I make spelling errors, typos or just plain mistakes!:rolleyes:

[Terrie53]

Yes, thanks! Heaven forbid I make spelling errors, typos or just plain mistakes!:rolleyes:

I am, by far, the worst speller in the world! :D And, with no spell check, I throw caution to the wind.........:D :D (I just can't figure out how to load it into my laptop :confused:) I'll get there eventially!

[Jessnc]

I am guilty of being an inappropriate hyphen user. For some reason, when I type hyphens feel appropriate. But I use them more to connect sentences than to connect words.

The first time someone told me they "texted" me I thought,"That is definitely not a word..." It just doesn't sound right. "I sent you a text," sounds ok, but "texted" is shorter and more to the point.

Are we speeding up our pace of life so much that our speech has to become so short and to the point?

In films where the setting is 100-200 years ago our speech seems to be depicted in a slower and more elegant manner, in my opinion. I like the charm of it.

I agree with Kristi and really dislike the use of the word "like." I use it occasionally, out of habit, but some people use it so often I wonder if they could complete a full sentence without using it...

[testkitchen45]

Does anyone remember the old Peanuts cartoon in which Linus is writing a letter? He writes, "Dear? Grandma? Today? in? school? we? learned? how? to? make? question? marks?"

:D

[LakeMartinGal]

The first time someone told me they "texted" me I thought,"That is definitely not a word..." It just doesn't sound right. "I sent you a text," sounds ok, but "texted" is shorter and more to the point.

Are we speeding up our pace of life so much that our speech has to become so short and to the point?
That's how I feel about the word "gifted," meaning 'gave a gift' rather than exceptionally bright...

[stacy7272]

I am guilty of being an inappropriate hyphen user. For some reason, when I type hyphens feel appropriate. But I use them more to connect sentences than to connect words.
Those are dashes. :)

[funniegrrl]

Those are dashes. :)

And there are two kinds of dashes: Em dashes and en dashes.

[PAMMELA]

Yes, thanks! Heaven forbid I make spelling errors, typos or just plain mistakes!:rolleyes:

Well heaven forbid that I pointed it out, with a smile even. I don't see your need for the rolling eyes. It wasn't personal.

[little_bopeep]

And there are two kinds of dashes: Em dashes and en dashes.

OMG, who knew?? Wikipedia has a whole page on punctuation that I've never heard of!!

[cocoa'smom]

Anyone interested in how punctuation evolves or is irritated by bad punctuation will probably enjoy "Eats Shoots & Leaves" by Lynne Truss. Here's a link about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eats,_Shoots_&_Leaves
I thought it was really amusing & enjoyable.