Is English Quickly Becoming a Dead Language?

[GammaGlobulin]

Dearest Friends,

 

Another frenetic Sunday is upon us. And now is the perfect time to once-again consider a further question of import while wending one’s way home from the bar, and while thinking of mending one’s ways on the way back from the bar.  Or, if one is having a Sunday brunch at 11:00 AM, then why not consider the question concerning the health of the English language, as follows?

 

Namely, the question begs: Is the English language, as we once knew it just a few decades ago, now dead, or quickly dying?

 

Where did/does English come from, in the first place, anyway?

It does not come from India.

It does not come from Singapore.

It does not come from Israel, for sure.

And, one's guess, is that it also does not come from America, Canada, or even Australia.

 

Why do they call the English language, ‘English’, anyway?

There must have been a reason for calling it English and not French, for example.

 

Up until the 1990s, before the Internet spread rampantly like a plague upon the world, we all recognized the clear demarcations between what was once considered Old English, Middle English, and Modern English. We knew where English came from, too. English came from Germany, and other places like Denmark.

 

But, these days, where is English coming from?

 

English is evolving rapidly, and so some people say that the English language will never become a dead language.  But, I disagree.  

 

Think of it this way:  Anytime evolution happens too rapidly, then the spirit of the organism dies. We know this from biology.  For example, if an organism is exposed to too many Gamma Rays, then this causes too many mutations, too rapidly, and the species dies.

 

It is exactly THIS that is happening now to the English language.

There are just too many additions to the DNA of the English language, and these are coming in, Helter-Skelter, from places like Singapore and India, and especially from sites like YouTube.

 

How can the English language hope to survive with its basic integrity still intact, if this continues for another decade, or so?

 

One thing that really bugs me is that nobody cares about consistency in the use of Pronouns. These days, due to YouTube and other silly factors, Pronouns are no longer important. Just throw in any old pronoun, and let the reader guess what the writer or speaker means.

 

We have all read the recent news reportage of how the small former colony of Singapore is turning proper English into a mishmash of spoken garbage which, in few cases, resembles what we once considered proper English.

 

And, just like what happened to Singapore, we can look forward to the same thing happening around the world.  And not only around the world, this same contagion will spread to the UK, itself.

 

I am, and have always been, an unabashed Anglophile.

I grew up in my pre-teens reading Sherlock Holmes.

I loved to read about 221B Baker Street happenings.

And, I read about these happenings on pages filled with proper English written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle KStJ DL.

 

How do you think I feel everyday watching and listening to what is spouted on YouTube and in the chat rooms from the rest of the world? What a horrendous travesty of the English language!

 

And, like the contagion that it is, this travesty of the perversion of the English will quickly come back to haunt the populace of England. Mark my words!

 

Are you as scared as I?

 

If not, then why not?

 

Don’t you care if somebody is using your language the wrong way?

 

What’s wrong with you people, anyway?

 

Best regards,

Disgruntled GammaG

 

Please Note: I have nothing against the Appalachian People, or even Peckerwoods

 

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by GammaGlobulin

[HuskerDo2]

Is the English language, as we once knew it just a few decades ago, now dead, or quickly dying?....... well actually yes when you refer to "proper" English. There is so much slang and "street lingo" that it's hard to understand what the uneducated youth are saying on any given day. 

 

"We have all read the recent news reportage of how the small former colony of Singapore is turning proper English into a mishmash of spoken garbage"....... uh, er, um..... let's not point the finger at Singapore. Let's point the finger at uneducated youth all over the world who want to "fit in" with the crowd of their peers. You don't hear kids who attended college talking that way. They use mostly proper English. 

 

"Are you as scared as I?" .... no.

 

"If not, then why not?".... it's called communication. Even if they don't use the "proper" English yet you are able to understand their meaning all is fine.

 

"Don’t you care if somebody is using your language the wrong way?"... sounds like something an elitist would say. It's called communication and as long as the person you're talking to understands you then all is well.

[GammaGlobulin]

11 minutes ago, HuskerDo2 said:

Is the English language, as we once knew it just a few decades ago, now dead, or quickly dying?....... well actually yes when you refer to "proper" English. There is so much slang and "street lingo" that it's hard to understand what the uneducated youth are saying on any given day. 

 

"We have all read the recent news reportage of how the small former colony of Singapore is turning proper English into a mishmash of spoken garbage"....... uh, er, um..... let's not point the finger at Singapore. Let's point the finger at uneducated youth all over the world who want to "fit in" with the crowd of their peers. You don't hear kids who attended college talking that way. They use mostly proper English. 

 

"Are you as scared as I?" .... no.

 

"If not, then why not?".... it's called communication. Even if they don't use the "proper" English yet you are able to understand their meaning all is fine.

 

"Don’t you care if somebody is using your language the wrong way?"... sounds like something an elitist would say. It's called communication and as long as the person you're talking to understands you then all is well.

Please read further concerning the present-day transformation of English in Singapore. Many scholars have been reporting this during recent years. And, this is not just a phenomenon of the younger generation. 

[flyingtlger]

IMO U R FOMO, LMAO

[GammaGlobulin]

2 minutes ago, flyingtlger said:

IMO U R FOMO, LMAO

Sorry. 

 

I think too much,

Type too much. 

 

But, the English language is now evolving too much, 

Too fast. 

 

 

[HuskerDo2]

Just now, GammaGlobulin said:

Please read further concerning the present-day transformation of English in Singapore. Many scholars have been reporting this during recent years. And, this is not just a phenomenon of the younger generation. 

Scholars? These are the people with no real-world experience yet sit in a classroom and tell people the way it is, right? Only 5% of "scholars" are worth a "bleep". 

 

Who cares if the language isn't any longer used in its "proper" form as long as the ultimate result of "communication" happens.

[GammaGlobulin]

2 minutes ago, HuskerDo2 said:

Scholars? These are the people with no real-world experience yet sit in a classroom and tell people the way it is, right? Only 5% of "scholars" are worth a "bleep". 

 

Who cares if the language isn't any longer used in its "proper" form as long as the ultimate result of "communication" happens.

For that matter, proceeding with your logic, proper spelling is not important. 

 

Is this also part of your simplistic argument? 

 

Nothing means anything, simply because anything can, potentially, mean everything? 

 

[HuskerDo2]

Just now, GammaGlobulin said:

For that matter, proceeding with your logic, proper spelling is not important. 

 

Is this also part of your simplistic argument? 

 

Nothing means anything, simply because anything can, potentially, mean everything? 

 

"proper spelling is not important"..... did I say that? No!

 

It's all about communication. If I say "ABC" to you, and you understand that I said "ABC" and not "XYZ" then the communication happened properly. The world is changing and so is the way young people speak and communicate. You have to deal with it.

[GammaGlobulin]

16 minutes ago, HuskerDo2 said:

"proper spelling is not important"..... did I say that? No!

 

It's all about communication. If I say "ABC" to you, and you understand that I said "ABC" and not "XYZ" then the communication happened properly. The world is changing and so is the way young people speak and communicate. You have to deal with it.

So then, judging by your simplistic logic, it is no longer important for a younger generation to communicate with an older generation.

Is this correct?

 

Or, are you stating that the older generation should learn to speak a bastardized version of proper English in order to communicate with an EVER-DIMINISHING segment of the world's population?

 

This makes no sense because....

 

You need to take a closer look at the recent DEOMOGRAPHIC PYRAMIDS of today.

 

In case you have not recently done so....

 

 

Read it and weep, my friend!

(smile)

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by GammaGlobulin

[HuskerDo2]

Just now, GammaGlobulin said:

So then, judging by your simplistic logic, it is no longer for a younger generation to communicate with an older generation.

Is this correct?

 

Or, are you stating that the older generation should learn to speak a bastardized version of proper English in order to communicate with an EVER-DIMINISHING segment of the world's population?

 

This makes no sense because....

 

You need to take a closer look at the recent DEOMOGRAPHIC PYRAMIDS of today.

 

In case you have not recently done so....

 

 

Read it and weep, my friend!

(smile)

 

You are obviously an older British gent that is both misunderstanding my comments and afraid to deal with the fact that the world is changing.

 

Good luck to you. I'm out.

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

2 minutes ago, HuskerDo2 said:

You are obviously an older British gent that is both misunderstanding my comments and afraid to deal with the fact that the world is changing.

 

Good luck to you. I'm out.

 

 

When you state, "I'm out", what is your meaning? 

 

According to your simplistic linguistic argument, it is permissible for any phrase to mean almost anything, if any small part of a younger generation agrees that it means something. 

 

Proper spelling is crucial for accurate communication. 

 

Likewise, the meaning of words we use must mean approximately the same thing to the majority of speakers in the group. 

 

When the meanings of words and phrases become distorted, contorted, and splintered between subgroups, then communication between groups suffers. 

 

All that I know is that when I tune in to the debaters at the Oxford or Cambridge Forums, most of what I hear is as plain as day. And, most debaters there are young people from around the world. 

 

But when I watch YouTube, or try to deal with the guys in call centers in Bombay, I haven't a clue what most of these ESL speakers are going on about. 

 

Just imagine yourself in the year 2033, when everybody speaks Bombay English. 

 

Please pass me the Bombay gin, because communicating will be a nightmare... 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

One more note. 

 

Let's please not underestimate the importance of a common grammar. 

 

English grammar is becoming crazier and crazier on sites like YouTube, and also around the world. 

 

Grammar is the key that allows us to communicate. Without grammar, we would still be swinging from the trees. 

 

Even Mathematics has grammar. 

 

Anybody who knows the grammar of Mathematics can easily communicate with anyone else around the world, no matter if they speak French. 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

One further thought about grammar:

 

I have spent a great deal of time listening to the vocalizations of Thai Myna birds. 

 

Even Thai Myna birds depend upon a common-understanding of grammar for survival. 

 

When the green snake or the brown snake approaches the chicks of the Thai Myna bird, the Myna birds immediately begin to vocalize grammatically... 

 

And then, the snake is driven off, due to proper grammar. 

 

Linguistics is a beautiful Social Science, the study of which can lead to the understanding of everything, even Thai Myna birds. 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by GammaGlobulin

[Gsxrnz]

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

For that matter, proceeding with your logic, proper spelling is not important. 

 

Is this also part of your simplistic argument? 

 

Nothing means anything, simply because anything can, potentially, mean everything? 

 

You just described the core of the post-modernist's ideology.

[Hiram Abiff]

Whether you like it or not, it's called 'progression'.

 

If we were to go back in time several hundred years, we wouldn't be understood using our modern English. And vise versa.

The English language is very much alive and is recognised as THE International business language so I think it's here to stay.

 

To emphasise my point of 'progression', try looking for these now seldom used English words.

 

Gallimaufry

Pluviophile

Librocubularist

Febricula

Sophronise

Mullock

Uglyography

Namelings

Pannychis

Guttle

Snollyguster

Barbigerous

Edited December 10, 2022 by Hiram Abiff
spelling mistake

[HuskerDo2]

Just now, GammaGlobulin said:

When you state, "I'm out", what is your meaning? 

 

According to your simplistic linguistic argument, it is permissible for any phrase to mean almost anything, if any small part of a younger generation agrees that it means something. 

 

Proper spelling is crucial for accurate communication. 

 

Likewise, the meaning of words we use must mean approximately the same thing to the majority of speakers in the group. 

 

When the meanings of words and phrases become distorted, contorted, and splintered between subgroups, then communication between groups suffers. 

 

All that I know is that when I tune in to the debaters at the Oxford or Cambridge Forums, most of what I hear is as plain as day. And, most debaters there are young people from around the world. 

 

But when I watch YouTube, or try to deal with the guys in call centers in Bombay, I haven't a clue what most of these ESL speakers are going on about. 

 

Just imagine yourself in the year 2033, when everybody speaks Bombay English. 

 

Please pass me the Bombay gin, because communicating will be a nightmare... 

 

 

"When you state, "I'm out", what is your meaning? "... exactly my point. I'm not sure how old you are but 95% of the people would understand what "I'm out" means. 

 

"Proper spelling is crucial for accurate communication"... no it's not. If I say...

 

"How you doin" rather than "How is everyone doing today" will you not understand the meaning that's being conveyed?

 

How about "What's up?". Are you clueless as to what the person is saying? 

 

"the meaning of words we use must mean approximately the same thing to the majority of speakers in the group."... mostly true but the world is becoming younger and younger. How you speak to your older friends is different from how the younger folks speak to each other. You need to accept that.

 

"All that I know is that when I tune in to the debaters at the Oxford or Cambridge Forums"... I suspect 0.002% of the world listens to these forums so forget about it.

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

9 minutes ago, Gsxrnz said:

You just described the core of the post-modernist's ideology.

What if I had said, "All is Nothing", instead of "Anything could mean Anything"? 

 

[Gsxrnz]

9 minutes ago, Hiram Abiff said:

Whether you like it or not, it's called 'progression'.

 

If we were to go back in time several hundred years, we wouldn't be understood using our modern English. And vise versa.

The English language is very much alive and is recognised as THE International business language so I think it's here to stay.

 

To emphasise my point of 'progression', try looking for these now seldom used English words.

 

Gallimaufry

Pluviophile

Librocubularist

Febricula

Sophronise

Mullock

Uglyography

Namelings

Pannychis

Guttle

Snollyguster

Barbigerous

Been reading Dickens have we?  

[HuskerDo2]

Just now, GammaGlobulin said:

One further thought about grammar:

 

I have spent a great deal of time listening to the vocalizations of Thai Myna birds. 

 

Even Thai Myna birds depend upon a common-understanding of grammar for survival. 

 

When the green snake or the brown snake approaches the chicks of the Thai Myna bird, the Myna birds immediately begin to vocalize grammatically... 

 

And then, the snake is driven off, due to proper grammar. 

 

Linguistics is a beautiful Social Science, the study of which can lead to the understanding of everything, even Thai Myna birds. 

 

 

"

I have spent a great deal of time listening to the vocalizations of Thai Myna birds. 

 

Even Thai Myna birds depend upon a common-understanding of grammar for survival. 

 

When the green snake or the brown snake approaches the chicks of the Thai Myna bird, the Myna birds immediately begin to vocalize grammatically... 

 

And then, the snake is driven off, due to proper grammar."

 

OMG. I hope the rubber room is fully cleaned and ready for you to take occupancy. Incredible.

[Hiram Abiff]

2 minutes ago, Gsxrnz said:

Been reading Dickens have we?  

Who?

[Phnom Penh Trader]

3 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Where did/does English come from, in the first place, anyway?

From the largest empire the world has ever known.

[Phnom Penh Trader]

3 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

And, one's guess, is that it also does not come from America, Canada, or even Australia.

Did they have history lessons at your school?

You know regarding timelines and all that?

[GammaGlobulin]

2 minutes ago, HuskerDo2 said:

"When you state, "I'm out", what is your meaning? "... exactly my point. I'm not sure how old you are but 95% of the people would understand what "I'm out" means. 

 

"Proper spelling is crucial for accurate communication"... no it's not. If I say...

 

"How you doin" rather than "How is everyone doing today" will you not understand the meaning that's being conveyed?

 

How about "What's up?". Are you clueless as to what the person is saying? 

 

"the meaning of words we use must mean approximately the same thing to the majority of speakers in the group."... mostly true but the world is becoming younger and younger. How you speak to your older friends is different from how the younger folks speak to each other. You need to accept that.

 

"All that I know is that when I tune in to the debaters at the Oxford or Cambridge Forums"... I suspect 0.002% of the world listens to these forums so forget about it.

 

 

If only you might have lived a few hundred years ago, before spelling became standardized, then you might have been less at odds with present-day understanding. 

 

By the way, world demographics show that populations are aging rapidly. 

 

Also, there are spelling rules we all must follow in order to to write the contraction "doin'". 

 

Even the Chinese strictly adhere to rigid spelling rules for Pinyin. 

 

For example, "Gua yangtou mai gourou" is an idiom or phrase which would not mean the same to anyone if it were misspelled. 

 

Very soon, the younger generation will be a very Lonely Crowd. 

 

 

[redwood1]

We need to learn all them there foreigners some smarts......

 

If them peoples cants learn English then theys stupid....

 

English is what peoples whos edjumicated speak..

 

Thems peoples needs stop be so stupides and speakees English.

[Gottfrid]

4 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

There must have been a reason for calling it English and not French, for example.

Sorry, it was already taken

[sqwakvfr]

English will die when computers can be programmed in another language.  This could be sooner than later because computers only understand + and -.  +++----- or -+-+---- or ++++-----.  

[GammaGlobulin]

12 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

English will die when computers can be programmed in another language.  This could be sooner than later because computers only understand + and -.  +++----- or -+-+---- or ++++-----.  

Are you sure? 

 

Analog computers don't operate this way, for example. 

 

Quuantum computers don't operate this way, for example. 

 

Making blanket statements is risky business. 

 

Anyway, what is the meaning of ++++-----? 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by GammaGlobulin

[Gsxrnz]

13 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Are you sure? 

 

Analog computers don't operate this way, for example. 

 

Quuantum computers don't operate this way, for example. 

 

Making blanket statements is risky business. 

 

Anyway, what is the meaning of ++++-----? 

 

 

I suspect he is referring to Binary, as in 101010 is binary for the answer to the ultimate question of the Universe, and also being a perfect number. I'm out. 

[Phnom Penh Trader]

1 hour ago, sqwakvfr said:

English will die when computers can be programmed in another language.  This could be sooner than later because computers only understand + and -.  +++----- or -+-+---- or ++++-----.  

Computers use binary which is 1…0…1..0…0..0..1 etc.

[GammaGlobulin]

50 minutes ago, Gsxrnz said:

I suspect he is referring to Binary, as in 101010 is binary for the answer to the ultimate question of the Universe, and also being a perfect number. I'm out. 

Actually, I think he realizes that, in a digital computer, Binary is actually electrical charge, which is what I thought he meant with his plusses and minuses. For a minute there, I thought he was going to explain to us exactly how a transistor works.