While that statement may not be totally grammatically correct, it does sum up my Luxurious Nomad life.
As you may know, I love words – not just writing, but the actual understanding of language, how it is used to convey meaning, when and where that meaning is sometimes lost, and so much more…
While it is arguable both directions that vocabulary has increased/decreased in the past one-hundred years, what is noticeable is a very pronounced change in the manner and use of language.
Texting has lead to many being more focused on brevity than spelling, grammar, or punctuation.
Emoticons are used to convey sentiments that previously would have been conveyed within the language itself – and sometimes one emoticon takes the place of a whole sentence.
In noting these changes, I am not advocating one over the other. Languages are alive – they change, they evolve… however as the saying goes, “if you don’t use it, you lose it” – or is that the other way around… 🙂 (emoticon use intentional)
As recently as 2012, the world ‘lost’ another language. The Cromarty dialect of Northern Scotland originated from people who moved north from the Firth of Forth in the 15th and 16th centuries, however the last native speaker of that language died at the age of 92 in October of 2012.
As I live my solivagious life, my travels take me to various parts of the world where I am constantly challenged to understand and be understood in other than my native language of English. Even when I geek-out (a new addition to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2017) and resort to Google Translate, there is still always the challenge of correct pronunciation.
In today’s world where English is virtually ubiquitous, the task of effective communication is made significantly easier than it was for mundivagants one-hundred years ago.
Just as I find it fascinating to explore how people viewed the world and their place in it at various points in history (such as when children were given radioactive materials in science kits during the 1950s), I also find it fascinating to look at how language has changed – and continues to change.
…and I also love listening to the variety of languages being spoken all around me – that together form a type of linguistic symphony. It truly is glorious to just listen to the sounds, and looking at the shapes made by the words…
So, what is the point of this post?
Nothing other than to share some new words, explore some that have essentially disappeared from our vocabulary, and to highlight yet another blessing that comes from being a Luxurious Nomad – that of the phonology of this glorious blue planet we call ‘home’.
~ Bella
