Language: Evolving or Degrading?

[Omnis]

Western decadence? No. Let's not make it into a guilt trip over the progress of man. It's just lax standards. Journalism and language are connected, sure. Those that publish mass media ought to be stewards of the language since what they say tends to be picked up by everyone. I'm sure the rise of the internet and instantaneous communication and access has something to do with it too. Swag!

Take for example the rise of using "at" at the end of a sentence. Boost mobile (bastards) started a huge and successful marketing campaign, the "where you at?" commercials. Then the rappers picked it up. Then it became pop vernacular. Shortly after, everyone started adding "at" to the end of location queries. Before that, nobody ever said, "Where are you at?" not even the most illiterate. "Where's the store at?" "Can you tell me where you are at?" Nobody ever added the at. Not even the rappers. It's unnecessary. But now people got they swag on. The new generation of moron-spawn urban culture (fruit from the Lil' Wayne tree) can do what they want, but the journalists and the marketers can't let it infect the rest of the language. It's degenerating because they're either failing in their responsibility or going after the lowest common denominator.

 

[terminator363]

It turns out that, indeed, literally literally doesn't mean literally.

Figuratively speaking.

The indigo has spoken.

 

[niky]

Gotta write down to the target audience. That's where the money's at.

Of course, biggest clicks for the news sites are from viral videos and funny pictures, so I'm assuming we'll all be writing in Doge before too long.

 

[Vegard]

the progression of man...

...dictates the progression of language, no?

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Words like "twerking" and "YOLO" indicate that spoken language is doomed to become incomprehensible babbling in the following decade.

 

[Omnis]

...dictates the progression of language, no?

No. Read the rest of my post.

 

[Vegard]

No. Read the rest of my post.

I did.

You seem to be focusing on the (relatively) microscopic details.
Try looking at the broad strokes...

 

[NFSCARBON1]

Words like "twerking" and "YOLO" indicate that spoken language is doomed to become incomprehensible babbling in the following decade.

With any luck these are just 'fad' words that will die out soon. The popularity of the word twerking is the media's fault, via articles on Miley Cyrus. It seemed like they couldn't cram the word into anymore sentences before it became repetitive. People who say acronyms and text speak really do irritate me though. 'LOL' means laughing out loud, so shouldn't you be actually laughing, not just muttering lol?

I think for the vast majority the English language is evolving. New technology and influences from other cultures constantly add new words and dialects. However thanks to programs such as, The Only Way Is Essex and the way they are forced down everyones throats, nonsense words are leaking in as well.

Finally to add to a topic from the last page regarding the word 'Nonce' I have never seen or heard it used in its original context. I have heard these though

1: Used as a term for a Peadophile, or a degrading term alluding that somebody is one.
2: A derogatory term for a Gay person (probably stemming from extreme homophobic beliefs that Gays and Paedophiles are the same thing)
3. A term for something being absurd or nonsense (That's Nonse)

 

[Omnis]

I did.

You seem to be focusing on the (relatively) microscopic details.
Try looking at the broad strokes...

Broad strokes are made by many fine bristles.

 

[Vegard]

many fine bristles...

...makes a brush.

The forest and the trees.

 

[Nish]

Take for example the rise of using "at" at the end of a sentence. Boost mobile (bastards) started a huge and successful marketing campaign, the "where you at?" commercials. Then the rappers picked it up. Then it became pop vernacular. Shortly after, everyone started adding "at" to the end of location queries. Before that, nobody ever said, "Where are you at?" not even the most illiterate.

I'll have to argue against this as it was common for people in my area of Detroit to talk like this and much worse. Also "Where Dey At" (2000) was a song before before Boost Mobile was even a company and "Where They At" was released in 1991. Both originated from New Orleans as it is the dialect know as Yat. Was hard for me to understand my family that lived in the 9th ward at times.

I think Boost saw that southern rap at the time was on the rise and used it to target the youths in that demographic.

Edit: That bring's me to a question. When do you consider it the degradation and when can it be classified as a different dialect? Whether it be English or not there are many languages that have separate dialect's in the language.

 

[niky]

Broad strokes are made by many fine bristles.

...makes a brush.

The forest and the trees.

But when an ursine defecates amongst the conifers, does it not make a sound?

 

[Azuremen]

Words like "twerking" and "YOLO" indicate that spoken language is doomed to become incomprehensible babbling in the following decade.

Pretty sure this has been said every decade since teenagers became a thing.

 

[Inferno251]

I can remember when "gay" meant "joyous, happy".

I can also remember when 'fag' meant cigarette (coming from a country where this is meant to be the case), and wasn't a derogatory term for a homosexual

A tautology is a tautology is a tautology.

That's a true fact

Based on all the complaint threads in GT6, it's degrading badly.

You can't stop hate, but at least on people's expression of hate is carried out in a more civilised manner