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1. How does language reflect changes in society (e.g., gender roles, cultural identity)?

2. Are slang and informal language forms helpful or harmful to communication?

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Language has always evolved to meet the needs of its users. From the earliest days of human civilisation, people have found ways to communicate — from cave paintings and grunts, to complex spoken languages. As societies developed, so did language — becoming more expressive, structured, and diverse.

Slang has always been part of that process. In every era, informal language has emerged to reflect the values, humour, and identity of a particular group. For example, sailors in the 18th century had their own slang. So did jazz musicians in the 1920s, and teenagers in the 1980s. Slang has always been a tool for connection — a way for people to show they belong to a group, or to express ideas that formal language doesn’t quite capture.

But what’s changed in the 21st century is the speed and scale of how slang spreads. The internet has radically transformed the way we use and share language. In the past, slang evolved slowly, passed on through speech in small, local communities. Today, a word or phrase can go global within hours — thanks to memes, social media, and viral videos.

Terms like “rizz”, “slay”, or “no cap” gain popularity through platforms like TikTok and Twitch, often coined or popularised by content creators with large followings. These words reflect our modern values — confidence, authenticity, and individuality — especially among younger generations. They are often short, expressive, and emotionally charged, fitting the fast pace of online life.

But there are also deeper implications. Some terms, like “woke” or “cringe”, show how language can be politicised or reinterpreted. “Woke” began as a call for social awareness, but now carries both positive and negative connotations, depending on who’s using it. Meanwhile, “cringe” has been reclaimed by those who are proud to be different — even if others see them as awkward or strange.

This shows us something important: language doesn’t just reflect how we speak. It reflects what we value. Over time, we’ve moved from survival-based communication to expressions of identity, community, and even resistance. Today, language — especially slang — has become a way to navigate digital culture, express individuality, and form connection in a globalised world.

Of course, there are challenges. The rapid pace of change can be confusing or exclusionary. Not everyone understands the latest terms. But overall, this evolution is a sign of a living, adaptable language — one that continues to grow as we do.

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1. Miscommunication:

slang and abbreviated forms often lack nonverbal cues, leading to misunderstandings across different age or cultural groups.

Messages can be misinterpreted or spark unintended conflicts.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/nov/14/using-abbreviations-in-messages-comes-across-as-idrc-study-finds

2. Decline in formal writing skills

Overuse of internet slang can bleed into formal writing, weakening grammar and vocabulary.

affects academic performance and professionalism.

https://journal.pubmedia.id/index.php/converse/article/view/3674

3. Context barriers

Slang creates in‑group codes that exclude outsiders or newcomers, in schools and workplaces.

fosters feelings of alienation and hinders effective collaboration.

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PHONOLOGICAL

- Great vowel shift in english (phonological) in which pronunciation of long vowels changed dramatically between the 14th and 16th centuries.

- ⁠”about” in the 1400s was abu:tә compared to now which is әbaUt

SYNTACTIC

- Word Order Shift from SOV — SVO I.e I you love to I love you

- loss of inversion in embedded question i.e early modern English “I wonder what does he want” to “I wonder what he wants” in modern English

MORPHOLOGICAL

- Regularisation of irregular verbs i.e from “holp” in early English to “helped” in modern English

- ⁠ Acronym and initialism usage as verbs i.e “DM me” (Direct Message) “I’ll PDF the file to you”

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1. Language evolution improves communication across generations, as it adapts to modern terms, new technology and concepts

https://youtube.com/shorts/RZmyl62M0dk?si=q27p3Ox7-L1Ox4Gk

2. Language evolution also leads to cross cultural exchange, where words are “borrowed” from different languages, i.e ‘café’ and ‘sushi’

https://youtu.be/iWDKsHm6gTA?si=8PNjKIrQXDr1ggIJ

3. Language evolution brings about slangs and metaphors that allows for creativity and better expression

4. It also reflects social change, as seen in the rise of gender neutral terms such as ‘firefighter’ instead of ‘fireman’

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Why Our Language is Becoming Obsolete #etymology #linguistics #language #technology

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To me, language reflects the needs of society. For instance, the acronym "PEEL" shows the need for me to have a certain structure in my essays, or how the phrase "no cap" shows the need for me to explain that I am not bluffing and that I am telling the truth. Language can reflect the change in how we want to see the world too (e.g. ze/zer as another form of gender neutral pronouns). Whether you accept these new words reflects whether you want to be accepting of changes to the notion of gender. Language also affects how we view the function of language. For instance, "You good?" is a shortened form of "Are you feeling fine?", which shows our new pursuit for efficiency in communication due to our hectic lives. In short, language shows change, and the change reflects the state of the world.

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1. Shift in pronunciation (phonological)

This involves alterations in pronunciation, like changes in vowel sounds, consonant pronunciations, or stress patterns.

2. Word formation (morphological)

This involves modifications to word structure, such as changes in how words are formed (e.g., adding prefixes or suffixes)

3. ⁠sentence structure (syntactic)

This concerns alterations in sentence structure and grammar rules.

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I would say that they are more helpful than harmful to communication. While it is true that slang does create distance between people who do and do not understand the language, we must not forget that no language is universal (except maths hehe). Slang enhances the communication experience between groups of people who understand it, and it can always be filtered out temporarily for those who don't. It doesn't necessarily mean that slang hurts communication, but rather it isn't the right time for it. Just a bit of understanding can make seemingly harmful slang into a really powerful form of communication.