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Old 05-01-2009, 07:49 PM   #49
Stitchawl
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Posts: 12,344
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand
Device: Sony PRS-650, iPhone 5, Kobo Glo, Sony PRS-350, iPad, Samsung Galaxy
Most languages are not static constructions. With the exception of certain languages that are governed by national law, languages evolved over time, growing with the culture.

When my son was born some 30-odd years ago 'google' was a spelled with a lower case 'g' and was part of his first vocabulary. Today we spell it with a capital 'G,' use it as a verb, and everyone knows what that means. To verify this, check with your 'network' and 'interface' with some other people. Don't 'dis' them if they don't agree with you. They might just 'tweak!'

My parent's had difficulty understanding my language when I was a teenager. I'd use words such as 'hip' while my mother was still using 'hep.' A 'head' was a person rather than something that sits upon one's shoulders. 'Where it's at' had no meaning for Mom, but very important for me, as was 'can you dig it?'

I'll bet it made her teeth ache to hear us talk, just as when today I hear someone say 'it's so fun!'

These days I listen to Japanglish. (Very similar to Chinglish but slightly different grammar.) When a young lady asks about my 'privates' I know she is asking about my cell phone number. (Bummer, dood!) When she tells me that she spent the entire weekend 'playing with herself' I no longer get amazed at her libido realizing that she was saying she played 'by' herself. Even the Japanese language is changing and evolving. These days there are lots of new words being added from English, French, and German, but all with a definite Japanese twist. A stapling machine is a 'Hotchkiss,' cheese is 'cheezu,' and an apartment is 'apato!'

Evolution of language and culture.

Hey, can you dig it?

Stitchawl
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