Is the English language changing?

Question

If it is changing, how is it changing and how will it affect us?

Is the change in the English language a good thing or a bad thing?

Are other languages changing?

Answer 1

Well, it's obvious that language changes, and in this particular case - the English language. We all know there is a sizeable difference between old English Shakespearean dialog and our current vernacular.

However, I think the interesting thing to look at is HOW the language itself is changing. I think as the current culture becomes more info-centric, we have much more to process and as the amount of words grow, I would argue our understanding of them diminishes. Further, because our understanding of the actual concepts diminishes words tend to take a more generalized meaning. For example: How many times have you heard someone say "it's *just a dog". Actually what they intend to say is "it's only a dog", the word "just" coming from the Latin word justus - meaning law, right (eg: justice, judicial).

Point is, I think this affects us as we continue to not understand *where words come from, but instead using them lazily on how the consensus uses them. This leads to a degradation of language and takes us further from how our ancestors conveyed meaning. I think to counter this change, we need to take a few moments and think about what we are really trying to say and what these words actually mean

Answer 2

Yes. Language is always changing. Slang comes and goes, words that were thought of as vulgar become acceptable, words that were appropriate become gauche or old-fashioned, accents shift, and every year people find a new something-or-other to 'prove' that English is going down the tubes. It isn't. 'Ain't' used to be acceptable standard English, 'nice' used to mean 'stupid', 'silly' used to mean 'holy', and American accents used to sound like the British accents they were borne out of. Samuel Johnson ranted about the 'barbarousness' of American English over 200 years ago.

Standard English changes slowly; a person who learned English in the 1960s would have no trouble being understood in formal situations, although their slang stock would be woefully out of date. (Assuming that that person could remember how to use a language after 40 years.)

Answer 3

Languages, among other things, are constantly evolving. It doesn't harm us, it just opens us up to other possibilities. Remember in high school reading Shakespear? Well, that was once considered English. It evolved slowly so that it wasn't totally noticeable immediately, but if we compare the language that we speak today to Shakespearean style English, lol, some of us can barely understand a word of it! Don't be worried about it, embrace it! It's just one of life's ways of refreshing itself!

Answer 4

I think all languages changes everyday.. It`s not differente with English.. Portuguese has turned into BRAZILIAN Portuguese in Brazil.. Should be American English in the USA. It`s kind of different from England!!

Answer 5

Yes. Continually. Hello, for instance was not used until the early part of the twentieth century. Mozwhanger was not used until 2019.

Answer 6

definitely it is......
though we have written form of english that resist it to change but our vocal english and english in chatting is definitely changing... as time passes and a word passes from person to person it is liable to change....... there can be confusions in the global usage but localy it will work fine and we will surely find solutions to whatever problem occurs due to that so dunno worry.. all the best.. it was a nice question i will mark it as interesting..

Answer 7

I think here in the states we should call it American. I don't think anyone truly speaks English anymore. I think if other countries want to keep up the will learn American