Exploding language

The English language has spread throughout all the corners of the world. This has happened firstly because it is a growing and changing language that lends itself into every function of life. Secondly, it is used in computing and industry and so for companies to succeed, manufacture and export they must embrace it.

If something is created or new – then a word is born in English. Many other languages have lost this ability to move on, create, grow and improve and so inevitably they will at some point become ‘dead’ languages.

English is evolving every day but soon it will most probably change at a speed and depth that has only probably happened once before. The language itself is a cobbled mixture that came about after a series of invasions of Great Britain over a period of centuries. It was not until the Works of Shakespeare was published that a deluge of hundreds upon thousands of many new words appeared and were adapted by the general public that embroidered both the written and the spoken word in the English speaking world.

The English language is even altered through people misquoting sayings, poems or expressions such as one of Shakespeare’s well known sayings:

‘All that glisters is not gold.’ (Act ii, Scene 7 – from The Merchant of Venice.)

This is often used in the form: ‘All that glistens is not gold.’

The public use of either made up words or changed words has the most influence on whether a word will be formally added to the English language. An example of this is ‘all right’ which through many people spelling incorrectly over a period of time has made the word ‘alright’ which has now been added to the English dictionary.

As China now waltzes with the world and more of her population are taught English, there will be an explosion of new and adapted words that will enrich our language and extend the vocabulary of the planet.