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Essay on a Specific Dimension of Language The language simplifying process is something that can be attributed to all Indo-European languages as common trend, although such languages as French, Portuguese and Russian are less susceptible to this. Here we will analyze socio-political changes that influenced English language semantic structure after 1600. In the last few hundred years English sentences have shrunk considerably, from around 70 words per sentence to 20 and less. What are the motivating factors behind this evolution? Can we talk of this as some process occurring exclusively in the field of linguistics or should we think of this as sign of irreversible changes that are taking place within the whole spectrum of our society? Let us look back in the history of English language, so itll be easier for us to understand the nature of language dynamics.
The original inhabitants of Britain spoke Celtic, which is now has been transformed into Welsh and Irish. English was the language of Germanic conquerors that came to Britain in 5 th and 6 th centuries. After this, their language had taken a different path of development than German dialects in the mainland. Historically, English language development can be divided in three periods: Old English, Middle English and Modern English. It is important to understand that about half of Modern English vocabulary derives from Old English. Even up until relatively recent times, forms of words in English varied just like in Russian or French according to syntax.
Grammatical gender, inflection and case ending have effectively disappeared from English of nowadays. In a way, we talk of language becoming mechanistic and this is why many semantic forms that were used to enrich English even a few centuries ago, are no longer necessary. Sherin Hammen in his article Whatever happened to Queens English? gives us an example of practical English of today: K tx wl cl bk ltr. If you can decipher this message, you have probably arrived on the world of text messaging. Translated into plain English, it reads: Ok, thanks.
I will call back later. Author rightly asks: Is this the beginning of a new language or is this the death knell for written English? It appears inconceivable for many that Shakespeare's language, which was capable of describing the full range of deepest human emotions, thus being highly poetic form of expression, has evolved into language of computers. It is the fact that more and more people around the world speak English, yet as it happens, we see that this language expressional capability have shrunk greatly.
If average person is asked to describe European languages with one word, hed probably say French is beautiful, German philosophical, Italian musical and Russian barbarian. But to describe English the best term is going to be efficient. Let us compare Middle English translation of Jesus prayer with a modern one: Our fair? at art in helens halted be?
i name; ? i resume or kingdom come to be. Be? i wille don in her? e as it is do in helen. You to us today our each days bred.
And foryeue to us our details? at is our sunny as we foremen to our detours? at is to men? at han signed in us. And like us not into temptation but delyuere us from eur (Matthew 17: 25).
Here is the modern translation: Our Heavenly Father, may your name be honored; May your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day the bread we need. Forgive us what we owe to you, as we have also forgiven those who owe anything to us. Keep us clear of temptation, and save us from evil (Matthew, 6: 5 - 13) There are 75 symbols in older variant, comparing to 60 in modern translation What is really important, is the fact that earlier version of the same text is much more descriptive, because of its style and grammar. Oswald Spengler in his Decline of the West suggested that every great civilization, just as men, goes through three stages of its development: childhood, maturity and old age. While every particular culture is still young and virile, its language has also the same qualities.
It might be not quite as efficient as it can be, but there is a great poetic potential in such language. Complicated semantic forms only lead to an epic and noble style when it comes to writing. It also stimulates brain activity with variety of abstract categories used to describe events of everyday lives. But as time goes by, culture itself becomes to be a utility slowly but irreversibly culture turns into mechanistic civilization, which signifies the beginning of decline. Language, in this respect, only reflects the changes that are taking place within peoples mentality.
Cars that were made in fifties, may not be quite as fast and low fuel consuming as modern ones, yet their value is many times bigger because theyre considered being pieces of art. Theyre simply more pleasing to an eye for those who understand the concept of class. The same applies to language it can be the most functional yet it might cease to be the language of culture at the same time. Another factor that adds to English getting simplified more and more, is ethnographical factor.
It wouldnt be too daring to say that we live in time Global Immigration. Great masses of people come from different parts of the world to English speaking countries in search of better economical conditions. In Vancouver alone 60 % of its population consider English as second language. This, of course, lowers English language finesse as whole.
In near future this language might become just a compost-base for new languages to grow out of it. The best example is Ebonics. In certain circles its considered to be a separate language, nothing less. In 1990 edition of Oxfords Ebonics Vocabulary, there are close to 150 thousands of linguistic idioms. For the word cocaine there are about twenty different synonyms while for the words like spirit or metaphysics there are none.
The abstract categories that enabled English language to be associated with rapid rise of Western civilization are now being slowly removed from it by the mean of surrogate languages becoming more and more popular. The new educational theory says that if children and students cannot keep up with process of studying, its because of their different social status. This means that educational standards need to be lowered, so the equality prevails. Such practice is being used in majority of American schools and colleges, which leads to nothing else but English language gradually becoming deprived. In 30 % of American colleges students can get a bachelor degree without having to take English literature course. Sherin Hammen thinks that the trend towards English language simplification cant be considered as too dangerous, after all: people with minimal English writing-speaking skills are finding this form of language a significant leap in communication.
They are now able to use English - a language that carries the label of respectability - without fear of being ridiculed. But if we consider all people being equal, why cant we pose equal demands for all? In my opinion, such things as SMS messaging and Email will inevitably reduce English language expressional capacity. It appears highly unlikely that culture has any chance of winning, while competing with technology. Another theory says that, although English language is getting mechanized, it will still be able to maintain its expressionism by adopting words from different languages. This is totally normal process and this has been happening for ages, but there was never an Internet before.
The problem is that things like love, hate or some deeply emotional factors ceased to be the driving force behind historical process. Its simply economical profit now. In my opinion, the simplification of English language can be described as negative trend, yet since there no effective means to deal with it, this process is best to be considered as something natural. Usually when every particular culture decline, there are always uncivilized barbarians ready to pick it up and bring to the whole new level Bibliography: History of English Language. (2004, November 2) SOON Online Magazine.
Retrieved November 7, 2004 from web Hammen, S. Whatever happened to Queen's English? (2003, June 16) Rediff Guide To The Net. Retrieved November 6, 2004 from web John Wyclif's Bible ed. 1395. Retrieved November 7, 2004 from web Normandin, J. Those Special People (2002, Spring) English 494: Writing and Tutoring. Retrieved November 7, 2004 from web The Holy Bible: Modern Translation (1982).
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