From alphabet to y'all: Linguists reveal the 100 words that have shaped the English language

[Jazzy]

Technology has changed the way we speak beyond all recognition, a leading academic has claimed.



The Story of the English Language in 100 Words tells the story of the words believed to be the most crucial to the language spoken today.



Author and linguistics expert David Crystal chose each word because it tells us something about how the English tongue developed into what it is today.



It reveals that words like loaf, jail and ok have helped shape the way we live, while muggles, chillaxing and LOL help shape today's language.



However, Mr Crystal explained that it is a personal list that is likely to differ to other people's.



The English language is spoken by 375 million people as their first language.



The book also reveals the unique old words which have died out, and the new ones that have replaced them.



Recent research found that the popularity of textspeak, where words are shortened, it having an effect on children's grammar.



They say 10-12 year old children, known as tweens, who constantly rely on shortened words and phrases such as OMG, LOL and amazeballs, struggle in grammar tests.



The book details the history of both ancient and modern words, including:

So what do y'all think of these words?

 

[Sinon]

lol isn't a word. >_> It's an acronym. I'd expect somebody who claims to be an expert in this field would know that.

 

[DrLeftover]

Without the commentary to explain the entries in the list it is meaningless.



And I am not buying the book to find out what he's talking about.

 

[JetWing34]

Interesting, but what happened before the English language was invented?

 

[Sinon]

Interesting, but what happened before the English language was invented?

We spoke Latin.

 

[Kahnai]

lol isn't a word. >_> It's an acronym. I'd expect somebody who claims to be an expert in this field would know that.

He is probably referring to lol as a word because so many people have fallen into the habit of using it that it's as common place as a word.



Look at the word ain't, my teacher told me ain't, wasn't a word, and it's technically been a word since the 1700s.

When Google became so popular google, was added to the dictionary in 2006 as a verb.



Technically, any word that gets used enough and it's meaning is recognized by the general populace that speak said language it then becomes a word.



Thus I propose we all start using the word Off Topix in our daily lives and by 2015 it'll be in the Oxford Dictionary!

 

[DrLeftover]

Most .... (repeated for emphasis) Most English teachers accepted ain't as a word when Ain't Misbehavin' won the Tony Award for best musical in '78.



The ones that didn't were being intentionally ignorant.

 

[Kahnai]

Most .... (repeated for emphasis) Most English teachers accepted ain't as a word when Ain't Misbehavin' won the Tony Award for best musical in '78.



The ones that didn't were being intentionally ignorant.

That was mine then. I can't tell you how many times I got it marked wrong on English papers.

 

[Evil Eye]

We spoke Latin.

And Celtic and Norse and some Germanic stuff...

How many times have I said it??

A few times...

I wonder if the map will be a little less blue in a few years.

Kinda Big Brother, huh?

Nah. The Inner Party needed the Outer Party to be able to read and write. Mind control through language doesn't really work if people are illiterate, nor would they be able to do some of their jobs properly.