The Evolution of Language

Evolution is by its very nature the constant change of something.  Language is no different, and in the new age dominated by computers and the internet, language is changing faster than ever before.  Yet, the broad changes in the English language, ushered in by the emergence of new outlets for the written word, have been dubbed by some a devolution.  In reality the English language has just entered a new era.  Foremost it is important to note something about the English language, it is and has been used in a number of different ways.

First, the English language has been used to express very basic things.  Take for example a greeting, “hello, how are you?” this statement would be considered by critics of modern changes to language, a proper greeting, whereas a more modern form for example “What’s up?” would be considered devolved.  However, it is important to view the context of both of these statements, not in terms of conversation, but technology.  In the former example, there are four words and five syllables, in the latter there are two words two syllables.  In other words the latter statement is more streamlined, which is a case similar to most shorthand used in texting or other means of basic communication.  This simplification has mirrored a change in how streamlined communication has become.  With the increasing rate with which people can transfer information, there becomes a response in the English language, where there become quicker ways to express the same meaning, by removing excess verbiage.  Between quicker transfers, and shorter writing there is room for what will be referred to as, informal unnecessary updates.   These informal unnecessary updates, are instances where someone will, for example, declare how much they enjoy the food they are eating with something like, “OMG this is gr8”.  To most people this would register as a devolution of language, as the words written and then distributed by text, social media, or other method, have little meaning.  To that response, it is important to note that statements like the one mentioned above, are nothing new to the English language.  The only change is that the medium, and number of people it will reach.  In prior eras it was equally likely for someone to exclaim their enjoyment of food, however the number of people reached by these words has extended from the people sitting around the table, to anyone with access to, the most modern of mediums, the internet.  In short informal language is evolving with technology, becoming more like short hand, however what is being expressed hasn’t changed in content only in medium.

Second, formal language has also seen changes to its usage.  To critics of modern day changes to language, the main problems that they find are in the aforementioned informal unnecessary updates, and they pay little attention to formal language.  In formal language evolution has also taken place.  The creation of the internet has made the publishing of intellectual papers easier to access.  In reaction these papers have become more simplistic in their wording, to reach a broader audience.  However simple is not necessarily a bad thing, as certain thinkers including George Orwell had explained, there was an inherent problem with formal papers in the not too distant past, that problem being that it was to excessive in verbiage.  In some instances words with little meaning or purpose to a sentence would be added in order to make the statement seem more intellectual or complex, luckily these extra words are being combated by the evolution of the internet as a medium, and the resulting desire to cut excessive complexity and verbiage to make it more accessible to the common person.

In conclusion, although these changes to language don’t seem gr8 at first, they are just another step in the endless evolution of the English language, ushered in by a new medium, and characterized by streamlined communication.