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> I'm not convinced its not any less childish screwing around just because it generates a shared vocabulary for people. It's not progress of culture or language
by visakanv 12y ago
> I'm not convinced its not any less childish screwing around just because it generates a shared vocabulary for people. It's not progress of culture or language, simply an increase of quantity of slang and in-jokes.
Why not both? Culture and language "progresses" (progress implies linearity– might be more accurate to say "develops" or "unfolds") through slang and in-jokes!
Check out linguist John McWorther's work on this subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McWhorter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McWhorter
In fact it's quite interestingly parallel to how technology often starts out as toys and games (and instruments of war and pornography).
- justathrow2k 12y agoI just fail to see the progress part here, I suppose. Maybe my view of this is daft, but the slang being created by the generation today isn't helping us say things we couldn't say before or moving anything forward - its simply the nature of slang, it constantly changes through the generations.
- visakanv 12y agoI'm curious to hear your thoughts about what progress has been so far. What do you feel have been works or movements or creations from the past that allowed for progress?
- justathrow2k 12y agoah, I believe if we got into a deep conversation about that here it would be a bit of a derail. You can e-mail me at sevensharpscales at gmail dot com if you're genuinely curious about my thoughts on this subject. Personally, I don't think they'll be of much interest.