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Its interesting- at first blush I would think that the internet would slow down language evolution by linking together communities in a way that prevents that n
by vikramkr 7y ago
Its interesting- at first blush I would think that the internet would slow down language evolution by linking together communities in a way that prevents that natural genetic drift of languages between nearby towns with limited intertown travel from happening. Instead, the constraints and form of the medium has created an explosion in linguistic evolution and growth. What an exciting linguistic time to be alive!
- foldingmoney 7y agoYes.
- benj111 7y agoWhat an exciting linguistic time to be alive and the best you can muster is 'yes'? How about an 'undoubtedly', 'most assuredly', or a good old pirate 'yarr'.
- PunksATawnyFill 7y agoYes, it's so exciting to witness the growing number of people who can't spell "too."
- mywittyname 7y agoHomogeneity is an important component for change, because changes need to be adopted by a critical mass of people before they can be considered part of the language. The homogeneity of the internet helps speed the process of change along tremendously. Some Instagram celebrity could make up a word, and by the end of the week, 100 million people could start using it. No author from 100 years ago had that kind of reach or influence.