Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Evolution of Language
Language is constantly changing and evolving. This is a consistent occurrence, when a word that was previously considered slang begins to enter the common vernacular. More than ever, slang that is associated with poorer urban areas of America is coming to prominence. Evolution of language is much like the evolution of a species, it is a slow process. Our parents spoke quite similarly to how we did, although there are certain words they would use that we do not, and vice-versa. Language is constantly changing, new words being introduced and old ones being cast out. A powerful example is to look at the language of Shakespeare, or Old English. Much of it sounds foreign to modern ears, and the reverse would be true as well. Language has changed gradually, over time to reflect new trends and ideas, and it will continue to do so. Documents from this period in history will gain more and more mystique until our descendants are scarcely able to read them. It is quite likely that many languages will cease to exist in the future, being accumulated into other languages or simply wiped out all together. These outcomes are other potential results of evolution.
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2 comments:
Ian-
I really liked how you compared the evolution of language to the evolution of the human species:a slow process. I thought that was a good way to describe how the evolution of language works. I also really enjoyed how you brought up how different Shakespearen language is to our language today!! I totally agree with how hard it is to understand Shakespeare!
-Erin
Your prediction of the death of languages was frankly scary. I realize that, like with biological evolution, certain language may fall out of use, and several of the "dead" languages already have. However I hope I speak for everyone when I say that language is extremely valuable and that even though I do not personally speak many languages, I would hate to see any of the ones currently being used disappear forever. As the author of this piece contended, language defines a culture, and when a language dies, so does its culture. That death is something I hope we can delay for as long as possible.
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