3:59 Gulf News: The internet is helping language evolve by providing a new set of communicative dimensions that did not exist in the past.
16:02 Sudha Kathuria: I agree that the internet is helping languages evolve by providing a new set of communicative dimensions that did not exist in the past as the evolution of languages only happens when there is a fair amount of exposure to a variety of beliefs and opinions. Each person on this planet has his or her own unique perspective to look at different situations. The influence of the internet is only positive and fruitful for all.
16:02 Fatima Khan: The internet is indeed helping languages to evolve. No matter how much the English teachers lament the deterioration of grammar and spelling, the internet is rapidly evolving the English language and what was used by the Bard is not what we speak and the vocabulary that we know and refer to today, is not necessarily one that future generations will use.
16:05 Anne Divine Gonsalves: I agree with this statement and as new words are added to our dictionaries, our linguistic skills are developing. As a result, it enhances our vocabulary and improves our communication skills as they are now far better. Howver, the onset of acronyms in use is what is destroying our vocabulary.
16:06 Fatima Khan: To judge whether the internet is doing more good or bad to languages would be wrong, but it is definitely helping it evolve. However, if only blasphemous words would be popularised less...
16:09 Sudha Kathuria: A word is only worth being in the dictionary if it conveys what has to be conveyed and if a new word that has derived from the internet has the potential to do so, then why not?
16:09 Aaliah Fatima: I agree with Ms. Sudha that the purpose for the creation of languages is to convey our message. People keep making the case for constructed languages, but I just don’t see them taking precedence. Hence, I think that the ‘internet language’ deserves its own place in the limelight. And by doing so, we are not depriving meaningful words from being outshined by these new words.
16:10 Gulf News: Language is ever changing; adjusting and adapting to the time and place.
16:11 Fatima Khan: Language depicts the expressions of people, so if more meaningful words fail to express the feelings of people, they fail in their purpose to express.
16:11 Sudha Kathuria: I agree because the change is not necessarily a change in languages; it is also the change in a specific thought process that marks the evolution of society. Therefore, the change is the perpetual evolution of a society, its values and beliefs all play an equally important part. We do not accept change in languages thinking it will only have an adverse effect, but that is certainly not the case. Nowadays, people are far more communicative and expressive as a result of the variety of words that constantly derive. Language, to me, is the most adaptable tool as it takes the shape of one’s mind the moment that it is spoken of, but at the same time the richness of a language comes with a blend of modern and traditional language.
16:14 Anne Divine Gonsalves: I agree, and I have personally been using words that have been derived from the internet and indeed, it does bring change and in turn, language continues to evolve. It is true that language adapts and progresses accordingly with place and time; hence, it is adopted as well.
16:15 Fatima Khan: These words are seasonal and impossible to miss out on such as twerking, Whatsapping and so many more.
16:16 Sudha Kathuria: The so called seasonal words are those used by people who are not aware of the correct meaningful word to use at the time.
16:17 Anne Divine Gonsalves: I agree, there are various seasonal words, and the acronym YOLO (you only live once) was popular for a while but is now fading in usage. So, I do not think that these seasonal words deserve to hold a position as ‘word of the year’ as it is only a matter of time before they are forgotten.
16:17 Aaliah Fatima: I agree, languages are similar to an amphibians and just as the cold blooded creature adopts and adjusts its body temperature to the environment, languages are ever changing to their surrounding, time and place.
16:18 Gulf News: The internet is destroying languages.
16:18 From Fatima Khan: There is no way to see how far into the future a word may run. Sometimes, a word that is not very popular may seem like the perfect contender for ‘word of the year’ whereas the word that ends up being elected is forgotten prematurely.
16:19 Aalia Fatima: I believe that the internet will continue the current trend of destroying languages. It can be considered good for certain individuals because it will increases the size of their networks and people will depend on them. However, it is definitely a loss to humanity and diversity.
16:20 Sudha Kathuria: Not really because each change brings in the good and the bad! .
16:20 Anne Divine Gonsalves: I agree to a certain extent. The internet surely has a lot of its own words, but it does give strength to other words.
16:21 Fatima Khan: The only reason we hold onto something so strongly is because we fear something so great won’t happen twice. We fear that we will lose our language and therefore accuse the internet for destroying it. Therefore, we need to accept the evolution and see where the path leads us.
16:21 Aalia Fatima: It can turn out to be benefitting as speakers of minority languages may feel encouraged to learn the more common languages that are being used on the internet in order to gain access to more resources. However, this can also lead to a decline in the usage of their own language. So, with that in mind, the future of minority languages in view of the increased use of the internet needs to be observed.
16:21 Sudha Kathuria: Technology means an easy tool for chatting to some and means a world to another.
16:21 Anne Divine Gonsalves: Change isn’t all that bad and some words must be omitted from constant usage.
16:25 Fatima Khan: The internet has radically changed global communication because it wields a strong influence and is definitely here to stay.
16:27 Anne Divine Gonsalves: The internet has changed global communication in a sense it has saved us time and paper, while moving towards an eco-friendly environment. Communication may be limited to smaller words and various acronyms, but the internet is here to stay for the benefit of mankind, so it is up to us to use it wisely.
16:27 Aalia Fatima: I agree and with a wide exposure to various languages and ideas, we have adapted to different methods of communication.
Facebook comments:
A bit of both, more people are using the written language more than ever but at the same time, abbreviations of words and laziness are dumbing down how we communicate with each other.
From Mr Mikail Olfat Byrd
Dubai
I think that the world before the 1990s was more comfortable and peaceful compared to the cyber world today. The internet has destroyed languages and cultures...
From Mr Abdul Hamid
Leeds, United Kingdom
The first thing that should come to your mind when you hear the word language is identification and we do use languages to convey our messages, but we should correct each other for the benefit of all.
From Mr Kwame Attah
UAE
-Compiled by Donia Jenabzadeh/Community Web Editor
