Quote:
Originally Posted by montsnmags
I think it more likely that......the not-unusual thing will happen where the word evolves to encompass the action rather than the action evolving a new word, and a retronym will arise for its superceded equivalent (think "acoustic guitar" or "film camera"). Thus, reading will still be "reading", but reading a paper book may be...oh, I don't know, but likely as simple as the examples given...something like "pbook reading" or "paper reading". I guess we can hypothesise on future words, but I suspect we'll no more control or even steer it than we do most developments and evolutions and contributions to language - it just happens. doesn't it?
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Marc,
Very well stated, and your post is one of the best I have seen here so far. You "get" it. Yes, if a new word arises, it will happen organically and naturally, in some future time, like your examples above. And what might actually happen is that "paper reading" will get the new word, not screen-reading. Very very well said, sir!