- Joined
- May 5, 2019
- Messages
- 9,708
- Reaction score
- 4,682
- Location
- Staten Island, NY USA
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Other
[Caution: wonkish.]
Our American version of our language, English, has for years been of two distinct varieties. There is the written language, precise and driven by the rules of grammar. Than there's like, you know, the spoken stuff, er, what we say to each other, right? And now, with the advent of the thumb-operated cell phone, we've a third off-shoot; texting. It's remarkably rich in acronyms, imho. Some of them make the transition and become words.
The change in language with time has, until recently, proceeded at a stately pace. In some countries, notably France, the pace has been slower than in others. Here in the United States of America, I believe the pace has significantly speeded up, driven by two primary forces: the internet and the polarization of politics. Political palaver, as the 'red' and 'blue' factions have moved to more and more extreme positions, has generated a number of neologisms, often vituperative in nature. The game of 'one-upmanship' played by these factions continues to generate new buzz words and phrases. The 'net, along with the media writ large, has provided the means of quickly spreading knowledge and use of these new expressions.
I've but a glimpse of where this is heading. It's certainly a fascinating thing to observe from my old rocking chair.
Regards, stay safe 'n well . . . 'n literate.
Our American version of our language, English, has for years been of two distinct varieties. There is the written language, precise and driven by the rules of grammar. Than there's like, you know, the spoken stuff, er, what we say to each other, right? And now, with the advent of the thumb-operated cell phone, we've a third off-shoot; texting. It's remarkably rich in acronyms, imho. Some of them make the transition and become words.
The change in language with time has, until recently, proceeded at a stately pace. In some countries, notably France, the pace has been slower than in others. Here in the United States of America, I believe the pace has significantly speeded up, driven by two primary forces: the internet and the polarization of politics. Political palaver, as the 'red' and 'blue' factions have moved to more and more extreme positions, has generated a number of neologisms, often vituperative in nature. The game of 'one-upmanship' played by these factions continues to generate new buzz words and phrases. The 'net, along with the media writ large, has provided the means of quickly spreading knowledge and use of these new expressions.
I've but a glimpse of where this is heading. It's certainly a fascinating thing to observe from my old rocking chair.
Regards, stay safe 'n well . . . 'n literate.