Spring Break
BTHO acronyms and bad English
The evolution of a language is inevitable, but it is not an excuse for the lazy use of English.
By: Christopher Buckley
Issue date: 10/21/08 Section: News
The evolution of the English language has taken an unexpected turn unforeseen by scholars and academics. Never would they have expected terms like "lol," "brb" or "lmao" would become dominant in written or typed works. Neither would they have predicted that "like" would become so prevalent in contemporary dialogue. The ill use of the language by using new terms has decreased a generation's vocabulary, grammatical skill and ability to speak proficiently.
Many scholars and professionals speak and type the English language in a professional and respectable way, but I doubt many in this generation appreciate the examples that preceded contemporary literary works; namely, the classics that epitomize the language's heritage.
"I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams," wrote the poet William Butler Yeats in his poem, "He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven."
"Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once," wrote William Shakespeare in "Julius Caesar."
While Yeats and Shakespeare epitomize the artistic heights that written English can achieve, it is not realistic to believe that people today will write essays or memos like that. Brevity can be achieved when writing is well thought. The terseness and use of "lol," "brb" and "lmao" are the result of laziness.
Aside from using improper grammar, Americans who abbreviate and use popular acronyms are imposing on themselves what Orwellian Newspeak imposed on the denizens in the book "1984." Newspeak combined some words and eliminated others deemed unnecessary by the government to make language more efficient. Additionally, Newspeak purged words that could cause the people in the book "1984" to could commit a thought crime by questioning the status quo.
The use of sometimes painfully incoherent language is another problem area. Miss South Carolina Teen Lauren Upton exhibited that in 2007.
"I believe that our, uh, education like such as in, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and everywhere like such as..."
Many scholars and professionals speak and type the English language in a professional and respectable way, but I doubt many in this generation appreciate the examples that preceded contemporary literary works; namely, the classics that epitomize the language's heritage.
"I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams," wrote the poet William Butler Yeats in his poem, "He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven."
"Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once," wrote William Shakespeare in "Julius Caesar."
While Yeats and Shakespeare epitomize the artistic heights that written English can achieve, it is not realistic to believe that people today will write essays or memos like that. Brevity can be achieved when writing is well thought. The terseness and use of "lol," "brb" and "lmao" are the result of laziness.
Aside from using improper grammar, Americans who abbreviate and use popular acronyms are imposing on themselves what Orwellian Newspeak imposed on the denizens in the book "1984." Newspeak combined some words and eliminated others deemed unnecessary by the government to make language more efficient. Additionally, Newspeak purged words that could cause the people in the book "1984" to could commit a thought crime by questioning the status quo.
The use of sometimes painfully incoherent language is another problem area. Miss South Carolina Teen Lauren Upton exhibited that in 2007.
"I believe that our, uh, education like such as in, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and everywhere like such as..."
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