Evolution of English Language - Essay Example

Evolution of English Language of the of the Introduction For those raised in the US or another modern western nation, it is common for them to think of language and identity, albeit linked, as aspects of human interaction. Daily conversations and popular culture reflect a belief that language serves as the self’s most important relational and expressive tool. Without language, it is believed that a person’s self would be condemned to isolation and silence; language allows the expression of one’s innermost feelings, thoughts or dreams to another thereby forging a connection between two otherwise remote selves.

This paper will address evolution of English over time.DiscussionEvolution of English languageLanguages don’t just happen-they evolve naturally and are a constant work in progress in addition to being a result of thousands of years of development. English, as we know it, is under constant state of change and is also relatively new as vocabulary is always being enriched with new words from all fields, which are coming up on daily basis. Every day, new words are introduced to the English language while others are losing their significance thereby becoming obsolete leading to their being dropped.

The rise of this language is worth mentioning especially due to the fact that when Caesar first entered Britain, English language did not exist. Even after five hundred years, it was only spoken by as few people as those who currently speak some other Native American or Australian languages. Nearly about a thousand years later, when Shakespeare was at his peak, English was only known to approximately five to seven million people. Today, more than 750 million people speak English, and half of these are native speakers whose first language is not English.

English is a global language now and it has become one of the most powerful and influential languages on the planet.DudeIn America, Dude is a word that lies between bloke, a slang term for a man or a guy, and the official British English term for mate. Similar to the usage of the word mate, Dude can be used in a vaguely affectionate manner while referring to another person: “Do not worry about it, dude.”  In context of Bloke, Dude can be used to describe a third person: ‘That dude is stressed out.

” Nowadays the usage of this word can be found almost in any section of the World. There is no restriction to its use as anybody can use it in general conversations to refer both to the second person and third person for example; what’s wrong with that dude? Or what’s wrong with you, dude?YouTubeYouTube is an internet site, which facilitates uploading of video files such that users can access, view, or download them, sometimes at a fee, from their personal computers irrespective of their geographical location.

 The site was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees, Chad, Steve and Jawed and it has become so popular now, that the word you and tube now act together as a compound, just like stopwatch, whereby two singular words are combined to make a different word with a different meaning. The word YouTube is so common and incorporated in today’s time such that it directly stands for video and clips. It is therefore possible to hear a person telling the other,” just YouTube it,” meaning that the person being addressed should try and locate the video or clip in question on YouTube.

ConclusionThis report highlights some of the words, which have played an important role in transforming the English language. These are for example; Dude, and YouTube. Evolution of English language continues to change the way people talk, especially due to the ever increasing number of new words and the presence of internet, which have helped greatly to influence how people speak. Today, English is one of the most influential and powerful languages on earth and therefore, more people will want to learn it and as they do so, more new words, probably borrowed from native languages, will emerge.

ReferencesGraddol, D., Letih, D., & Swann, J. (Eds.). (1996). English History, Diversity and Change. Routledge.Romaine, S. (1999). The Cambridge History of the English Language. University of Oxford, 4, 1776–1997