The evolving English Language
What do the words "hoodie", "Gitmo", "muffin top" and "wag" all have in common? Give up? They are all words that have been added to the just-published Collin’s English Dictionary 9th Edition.
Each year, when new editions of dictionaries are published, a long list of new words is always added. The words evolve from pop culture, technology, government and just about anywhere else you can think of. Even fast food giant McDonalds has unwillingly contributed to the English language with words such as Mcjob and McMansion (a large modern house that is mass produced).
This goes to show that language is alive and constantly evolving. Words that were slang or jargon are now everyday, common, household terms that we use without even thinking twice. I remember a time when words like "internet" and "worldwide web" were unheard of and email and cell phones were reserved for the geekish techies who lived far ahead of their time. I’m sure many older readers out there can remember back even further when more techno-jargon was still a thing of the future.
What does this mean for you, the writer and/or literary buff? It means keeping your vocabulary up-to-date is always important, especially if you’re a writer. Using archaic words/expressions probably won’t get you much further than the slush pile of any publisher or agent.
Surprisingly, I haven’t read a lot of contemporary literary fiction where words associated with the "techno age" are commonly used. Rarely does a character check his/her email or surf the web for porn. The only books that stand out are the global warming trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson, where the main characters routinely google various things as they confront a global meltdown. Of course, these books are in the "science fiction" category, so the use of such jargon shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
Thus language is anything but dead. Language is living and evolving to give us new ways of describing our world and social orders. Of course, there will always be a place for the older words, the one’s we’ve grown up with, but now they have some new friends!
As always, you can read the article that I used as a source for this post at:
New edition of Collins reflects evolving language
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