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Language is what u make it

Joe Heidenescher, IC News Editor

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Hi, my name is Joe. And even tho I have a bachelor’s degree in English, I speak and write in text language. Here is why I think it’s OK:
Language changes, it always has and it always will.
And unlike French, English has no governing body that tells us what is and is not proper English. In fact, “proper” English is a myth. The French have what is called the Académie française, a council of 40 members that decides the proper way French is spoken and written, and publishes the official lexicon. English, on the other hand, has no such restrictions.
In English there are no official guidelines, even if your grandmother occasionally yells at you for saying “me and my friends” instead of “my friends and me.”
Linguistically, all forms of English, written or spoken, are deemed acceptable so long as the exchange is mutual and clearly transmitted between the two communicating parties. (I know this definition sounds so academic, but all it means is as long as you are understood, you are good.)
So if I am writing a column like this one, and I spell “though” as “tho” and people still understand what I am saying, then I am still effectively writing in English.
All those grammarians and strict prescriptivists out there are probably having a heart attack, but I have a piece of advice for them. It’s time to stop holding onto the rules so hard.
Do you think your idol and role model Shakespeare thought too hard about rules? No, he invented new words to fit his mad metrical poetry. Also, language has changed since Shakespeare’s time (we even got rid of entire pronouns).
The English language is going to continue to change too, and as a writer and speaker of English, it doesn’t make sense to hold onto something that is going to keep changing. Do you think that if newspapers were written in early modern English (which is only 500 years old) that many people would understand? Of course not! Ye might think me mad.
It is because the evolution of the English language is reflective of the way the world changes with time. Language changes and it changes fast, and with global influences and technology, it has the ability to change even faster.
Around 1,000 years ago, Old English looked like this:
HWÆT, WE GAR-DEna in geardagum,
þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon!
And technically this is still English — well, Old English. Over time, the language evolved and changed because of various French invasions and conquests of what is now Britain.
Other languages and cultures influence English more than any other factor. Many of our words have been stolen or adapted from other languages like Latin, Greek or French, even tho our grammar comes from the Germanic structure.
Sure language doesn’t change over night, but as it changes it is important to embrace it. All variations of English are just as acceptable as another.
Language variation is SO important too. It represents the of parts and pieces of our identity. No one’s language choice or dialect is exactly like another’s, they can be similar, but each are unique. But just because someone uses bigger words does not mean they are intelligent, or because someone uses “tbh” does not mean they are ignorant.
Perhaps if you spoke to me or read my texts, you might not be able to tell I have a degree in English. You might have the preconceived idea that someone with extensive training in the language would use it in a “proper” manner. Wrong. My degree taught me much more than just writing to sound intelligent.
I learned that communication can happen in so many ways, and the subtle nuances matter A LOT.
The reason I use “tho” instead of “though” is because it is shorter and more efficient. Even some of my English professors, who have doctorate degrees, spell it this way. The English language has lots of left over rules from Old English, French, German, Latin, etc. that aren’t really useful now. So why not change them?
I’m not saying that we have to rewrite our whole language to be more efficient, but if an adaptation arises, becomes popular, and modern English speakers still understand you, then why not use it?
At its roots, the English language is democratic — it morphs to fit the needs of those who use it most.
Therefore, if groups of English speakers collectively use new words or phrases, then they will actually be written into the language. Over time, I envision and hope that the dictionary keeps up with the rapid evolution of our lingo. Heaven knows Imma keep writing in my own voice altho it might not be reflected in the dictionary, and everyone else should do the same.

Joe Heidenescher is a recent UT graduate with a bachelor’s degree in English.

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1 Comment

  • Great article. And despite what many think about “American imperialism” being the reason for English’s takeover, it’s more the language’s flexibility and openness that makes it so universal and easy to adopt. French is so rigid and formulaic that it acts as an effective glass ceiling to most of its speakers, trapping them in a holier-than-thou style war.

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Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919.
Language is what u make it