The Continuing Evolution of Language & Its Influence on People and Cultures

           

            In the articles From English to Chinglishand How English is Evolving into a Language We May Not Understand, the main subject under discussion is the current state of the English language and the influence it subjects onto or is subjected to from other countries & cultures. The former mainly focuses on the cross influence English and the native languages of other countries have on each other, the disappearance of native languages and an effort to preserve & educate people on these endangered dialects; the latter goes into more detail on how languages can influence each other to create new languages like Chinglish (Chinese & English) or Singlish (Singaporean English). The common point both articles try to convey is that the changes these languages are going through is not uncommon; this is just the natural progression in the evolution in the way we communicate with each other.

            I agree with the authors’ assertion that, despite attempts to correct these observed inaccuracies, it is inevitable that these words and phrases will eventually become commonplace in everyday speech.  Many of the languages often used today have been subject to this very process, as they originated from either Indo-European or Semitic dialects; as their usage spread outside of their native lands, they incorporated local languages and adapted to meet the varying tongues of people from multiple countries. An example of this is highlighted in the Chinglish article, when the division of Western Europe gave rise to the development of the Germanic and Romance languages. Despite this separation, the English language (which was thought of as a Germanic language) ended up being a product of the fusion of both Romance and Germanic origins. Another, more contemporary example can be found in our class discussions covering etymology and word formation, in particular the process of borrowing. Simply defined, borrowing is the process of taking words from other languages to be incorporated into another (tycoon-Japanese, piano-Italian, yogurt­-Turkish, etc.). This is not limited just to English, as other languages can borrow terms as well. Samples include the Japanese use of suupaa or suupaamaaketto­ for ‘supermarket’ or the French use of terms like le stress, le weekend or le whisky. This also works with a special kind of borrowing known as loan-translation or calque (/kælk/). In this case, the borrowing language assimilates a direct translation of the elements of a word. Examples include the French term grate-ciel (scrape-sky) or the German term Wolkenkratzen (cloud scraper) contributing to the English formation of the word skyscraper.

            While the concerns over the preservation of the languages are legitimate, we should also recognize the significance the development of new dialects like Chinglish or Spanglish has. The ability to develop a complex method of communication is unique among human beings, a feat only matched by the number of differing types of communication that have been developed and are still being used. Over time, these methods have changed in order to adapt to the changes in culture or to suit the needs of the people. Although it may seem that the formation of these languages is counterproductive, in reality, they may be the precursor to what we find ourselves saying in the future.