January 27, 2024 – Why Do Languages Change and Vary So Much?
Understanding language and language rules is one of the most interesting parts of my job. As a scopist, it’s a valuable skill to understand where language comes from and evolves. English is a strange language with various rules that have changed so much over time. I think the changes that occur to the language over time are interesting and worth studying. So today, let’s look at some of the things I find amusing about how English an other languages are constantly changing and evolving, and how we have observed those changes throughout history.
Language is Changing Decade By Decade
I noticed a difference after spending time talking to my mum about our work, life, and experiences. We used different words to refer to the same thing, different words in the same context, and different opinions on words that should and should not be said. It got me thinking. This woman taught me this language, we grew up in the same country/region, how can we have such different understandings? I know language changes with time, but it can’t be this quickly. Can it? My mum and I are only separated by about 30 years, apart from slang our understandings should be more similar. So why aren’t they?
Technology
There is a famous quote by Niels Bohr. He says, “Technology has advanced more in the last thirty years than in the previous two thousand. The exponential increase in advancement will only continue.” Technology has been a contributing factor to how language has changed and evolved, especially over such short bursts of time. We are using terms to refer to apps and gadgets that the generation before us never had access to. “Just text me” doesn’t mean the same thing today that it would have even 30 years ago.
Technology changes our language because language evolves with the needs of its users. We didn’t previously need to change words to refer to these technologies, but now we do. I grew up when the internet did, and my evolution of language adapted to fit the products I had access to. My mum grew up in a time when they still built cars without seatbelts. The phrase, “Buckle up!” would have meant nothing to her.
Culture
Language changes and adapts to fit the needs of its users culturally as well. This is why you will see the same language have different slang, prosody, or even verbiage when spoken in different places. I have worked as an ESL instructor, and I can confidently say I don’t envy anyone who learns English as a second language. I was teaching American English, which means I (as a Canadian) used slang and other verbiage that my students didn’t understand. I often heard, “Teacher, I understand the words, but I don’t know what you mean.” Why? Culture!
Things that exist in our specific culture will influence the way our language will evolve. Take literature and humor for example. The things we find funny are deeply connected to our culture and our cultural references. Our language can reflect that when we refer to things of cultural significance. Those references won’t make sense in other countries that speak the same language but don’t have access to the same materials. Literature works similarly. If we are trying to refer to a trope or idea from a book, movie, play, or game from our culture, it will be verbiage that only makes sense to those who came from that culture. Someone who grew up in Australia leaving beer out for Santa Claus will not immediately understand poems from the U.S. about Santa’s love for cookies and milk.
Geography
Connected to both technology and culture, geography can also affect the way that language changes and evolves. Mainly, geography can affect the accent of a language, phrase variation, and connotation.
Depending on the altitude of a particular location, some language sounds become more or less aspirated. This is because aspirated sounds are easier to make at higher altitudes. Countries that speak the same language may have different pronunciations or accents because of this difference in climate and altitude.
In other locations that are more isolated, language can become stagnant. Without access to other cultures or language speakers, the language will not have other influences to draw from and will therefore maintain its current system. The same language can adapt and change in one location while staying the same in another. This is also noticeable in the connotation of words. Based on the root of a word, the language it came from, and how it adapted over time, some words can have negative connotations in one dialect and negative connotations in another.
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Language is such an interesting topic. I love learning about the similarities, differences, and histories of languages. I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about some of the ways language can change and vary. If you did, please leave a comment down below and check back for a new post on the Next Step Scopist blog!
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