Our English language should come with a massive, luminous, advisory sign saying “under construction”. If we were to reminisce all the way back to 1450 AD, we would discover the nascent stages of our present day period of Modern English. However, when studying Shakespeare’s works, which come from the 1500’s, a translation of many of his lines is necessary for most ordinary people to comprehend all he is implying. Therefore, one can only imagine the vast amount of change that will occur to our language. I predict that within the next five centuries, we will have acquired a language desiring to be efficient, creating a less valued art of literature, and resulting in a decrease in the common vocabulary.
The highest rate of efficiency is strived for in all aspects of our current society. Our machines, human labor, learning, and businesses are continuously searching for that perfect formula that will result in one hundred percent efficiency. Therefore, what would happen if we could communicate with perfect effectiveness? What if every word we speak, portrays the precise meaning that we intend? Our conversations would be quicker and more productive if we used less filler words or expletives, elaborate descriptions, and redundant synonyms or phrases. In order to reach a language described previously, the articles “a” and “the” would be unnecessary. We would use only one of the multitudinous amount of synonyms for a single word, and when we explained an item or situation, we would describe it once and move on with the point of the story. A significant decrease in the use and incorporation of minutiae will be easily noted. Speaking in this way, using less energy to communicate the same idea and message, will result in shorter conversatio...
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...normally referred to happy, sad, and mad rather than auspicious, despondent, and irascible.
I could have bluntly written this essay in half the words and have gotten the same message across. Granted, I would not have displayed this information with as much emphasis and exaggeration. My arguments on the state of our language in five hundred years for striving for efficiency, devaluing art and literature, obtaining an artless vocabulary would have been less reinforced, but the gist would have been the same. Nonetheless, twice as many papers could have been graded in the same amount of time, students would have had extra time to spend on other tasks, and quite frankly, this class would be valued as more of a history class than one meant to expand one’s internal dictionary. However, in our current stage of language use, being verbose and magniloquent is valued greatly.
In George Orwell’s essay “Politics of the English Language”, Orwell argues that the English language is in ruins. What is to blame for the collapse of the English language? The answer simply lies within technology. Technology in many ways has a adverse effect on the English language. Young kids are now allowed to carry cell phones with texting being their main source of communication. Often times these kids butcher the English language through their text messages. They use improper grammar and often times do not punctuate at all. Technology such as texting, facebook and instant messaging work hand in had in the destruction of the English language. Technology has not made people more efficient, but rather has made them lazy.
Since it’s been a predominant topic of our discussion, let us talk about the infamous English language. We can be sure that it has painstakingly progressed throughout generations of reevaluation and modernization, and has thus become what it is today. It has gone in several directions to try and mesh with the various epochs of language, from the Shakespearean era to the common English slang we use now, we can all agree that English is a language that has been transcending and will continue to transcend into many
In the essay “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell, the author states his opinion of the decline of the English language. Orwell discusses both its causes and what he foresees as its consequences. He states there is less innovation and coherency, which dilutes the power of the language. Orwell felt that people were using the English language inaccurately, relying on metaphors which are meaningless and used so the writer does not have to bother with creating their phrases. Orwell asserted “It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.”
Ask anyone who Shakespeare was, and he or she will immediately rattle off at least three different plays that were required readings in English, not to mention a few blockbuster movies bearing his name. Many revere the works of Shakespeare as paramount in the world of literature, dedicating entire books, classes and festivals to the study and celebration of his work. Although the ancient language is a common stumbling block for even the most seasoned readers, his varied tales of love, hate, fear, betrayal, laughter, defeat and victory are just as fitting today as they were four hundred years ago. He is amazingly timeless. Yet, while we might know what Shakespeare is, will we ever really know who Shakespeare was? Ah, there’s the rub!
In Johnson’s preface to A Dictionary of the English Language, Johnson argues the importance of preserving language. Other dialects had a produced their own dictionaries, such as the French and Italians. Various writers of the eighteenth century were alarmed at the fact that there was no standard for the English language, since there was no standard it could easily become extinct. Johnson explored many points, such as how and why languages change as well as how many words are formed.
how the English language has changed in the many years from then until now. The
Crystal, David. The English Language: A Guided Tour of the Language. London: Penguin Books, 2002
The impeccable style and craft of Shakespeare’s writing has always been looked upon with great respect, and it continues to serve as an inspiration to writers and thinkers today even as it did when it was being first performed in London. Shakespeare’s modern audience, however, is far less diverse than the one for which he originally wrote. Due to the antiquity of his language, Shakespeare’s modern readership consists mostly of students and intellectuals, whereas in Shakespeare’s own time, his plays were performed in playhouses packed with everyone from royalty to peasants. Because of this, Shakespeare was forced to write on many different levels, the most sophisticated of which appealed to his more elite audience members, while the more straightforward and often more crude of which appealed to his less educated viewers, and the most universal of which still appeals to us.
The Renaissance has been a diverse period and had people who held dear to the art and literature, which have developed over the period. Starting with literature, was well known and popular in forms of plays, which have been presented out to people in that era and even today. One of the writers that have been noticed and presented in different styles in our time is William Shakespeare. William was known for writing most of the popular plays in the 1600’s and for interpreting language which was known for being ‘Shakespearean Language’. These languages in his plays are used from the renaissance era and are more likely seen with in the other writer’s stories as well. Though William was not the only one, there are others before him that has studied
Over the last decade, the English language has taken a great leap forward. And the main reason for that,is modern technology.
...echnology should be heralded as the greatest benefactor to linguistics and language. Instead, it seems as if it just may be its downfall if left unmitigated. Technology such as the Internet, cell phones, text messaging and social such have impacted language and English in a variety of ways. E-mail and text messaging have made writing an everyday occurrence. Computers have made writing quicker and much easier. With such easy access to information as Peter Diamandis put it in his book Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think, “we are living in a world of information and communication abundance,” (10) and with the rise in popularity of technology, we see the English language deteriorating more and more until one day its form in the future will be completely unrecognizable to its predecessor much as Old English seems foreign when compared to the English of today.
The English language has many words which originate from different languages. Numerous words in our 'Modern English' are from foreign languages that are from countries that previously invaded England. Our language has been changing throughout the ages and 'Modern English' is the finished product. There are still 'slang' words developing, and many people are becoming more inclined to speak 'slang'.
Have you ever wondered where the names of the different items you use daily came from? Or listened to people talk and find a particular word interesting or odd and wonder why it has become part of our English language? The English language that we speak today has developed as a result of many different influences and changes over thousands of years. The resulting changes to the English language can be split into three time periods that include, Old English or Anglo-Saxon, Middle English and Modern English which is commonly used today
The settlement of the British Isles by north Europeans followed by Norman French paints the backdrop to this essay which will focus on the period between the early 15th and 17th centuries, when a 'standard' English evolved. It will show that modern-day English is very different to that first introduced to the British Isles, but by identifying changes through time, its continuity can be demonstrated. Finally, it will suggest that present day English is in a position analogous to that which existed before the Norman invasion, when there were many varieties and dialects, and that this may lead to its decline as a global language, due to decreasing intelligibility.
Over the years English inarguably has reached a status of a global language and commonly is characterized as a lingua franca. It has become the language that is spoken by millions of people all over the world; as the mother tongue, as the language used for international communication and as the language learned in the millions of schools.