Everything in this universe is perpetually in a state of change, a fact
commented on by philosophers and poets through the changes. Language, like
everything else, joins in this flux.
English is a rich language spoken all over the world by natives and
non-natives alike. As such, it is in a constant change of evolution. English
continues to alter and develop with hundreds of new words arriving every year.
Generation by generation, pronunciations evolve, new words are borrowed and invented,
the meaning of old words drifts, and morphology develops or decays.
The English language has changed momentously over the last 1000 years
and would appear odd as given to a speaker of Modern English who reads or hears
an Old English being read for the first time. In fact, if the reader was not
told that it was English, he or she might not be able to identify it as a form
of English.
Look at the following passage in Old English and try to read it:
‘Fæder ure þuþe eart on
heofonum
si þin nama gehalgod tobecume þin rice gewurþe þin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum
urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us to dæg
and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum
si þin nama gehalgod tobecume þin rice gewurþe þin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum
urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us to dæg
and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum
and ne gelæd
þu us on costnunge ac alys us of yfele soþlice.’
Do you recognize it? If not, try this one:
‘Oure fadir þat art in heuenes halwid be þi name;þi reume or kyngdom come to be.
Be þi wille don in herþe as it is dounin heuene.yeue to us today oure eche dayes bred.And foryeue to us oure dettis þat is oure synnys as we foryeuen to oure dettouris þat is to men þat han synned in us.And lede us not into temptacion but delyuere us from euyl.’
Perhaps you recogniZe it now. Look at the next one:
‘Our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters.And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’
You have just seen a long evolution of the English language. The
first is Old English and the extract is taken from the Bible and is
part of the Lord’s Prayer. The second passage is from the Wyclif Bible (1348) and it
is written in what is called
Middle English. The third is from the King
James Authorized Bible. You have no difficulty with that extract because it is written in Modern English.
Languages
change for a variety of reasons. According to research, the needs of speakers drive
language change. New technologies, industries, products, and experiences simply
require new words. Plastic, cell phones, and the Internet did not exist in
Shakespeare’s time, for example. By using new and emerging terms, we all drive
language change. Moreover, the unique way that individuals speak also fuels
language change. The vocabulary and phrases people use depend on where they
live, their age, education level, social status, and other factors. Through our
interactions, we pick up new words and sayings and integrate them into our
speech. Teens and young adults for example, often use different words and
phrases. Some of them spread through the population and slowly change the
language.
English, clearly, is alive and thriving, and it continues to change in
ways that were never thought possible. Language will never stop changing; it
will continue to respond to the needs of the people who use it. Therefore, the
next time you hear a new phrase that grates on your ears, remember that like
everything else in nature, the English language is a work in progress.
Reference: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/langevol.html
Images: www.google.com
Reference: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/langevol.html
Images: www.google.com