English as an Evolving Language

There are certain rules in linguistics that allow for effective communication. However, because languages are constantly evolving and changing, it must be flexible enough to absorb the changes to make sense of the evolutionary fluctuations in the language. Syntax allows us to have fluid communication, allowing a universal understanding of each other. Furthermore, the addition of neologisms and changing meanings enhances the ability of language to clearly convey ideas. However, an alteration in grammar would be extremely inconvenient and perplexing.

Languages each have their own set of rules that provide structure to aid in human communication. Guidelines such as punctuation, grammar and a standard set vocabulary have been standardised to allow every speaker of that language, a common understanding and the ability to communicate clearly in their respective language groups. By following rules of English, you can make sense of the sentence “I learning to English” despite it being grammatically incorrect. In Addition, punctuation is very significant as it could alter the meaning of a sentence completely. ‘Let’s eat Grandpa’ has a completely different meaning from ‘Let’s eat, Grandpa’. Furthermore, if we started to spell phonetically, it would be more rational as it will make it easier for those mastering the language not as students but also as native speakers.

The English language has many included many neologisms and semantic shifts over time in itself, making the language more extensive. In the beginning, English was a relatively simple language derived from the West Germanic tribes. However as time progressed, it began to adopt words from other languages such as Latin and French, showing positive effects on the language. English then became more sophisticated and allowed effortless communication between speakers. William Shakespeare discovered that English had the capability of expressing a whole range of emotions, which resulted in him creating a broad vocabulary which was then almost instantaneously accepted into the English language. Shakespeare also assisted in the standardisation of English, as the language itself had no set structure.

The changes in grammar, spelling and addition of neologisms could affect this generation heavily, making it very complicated for us to adapt to. If changes were made to spelling, only a few minor changes may occur because people, who use language every day, will not be bothered to re-learn their own language. In addition, if we were to adopt a simplified single form for words, this would make the language much poorer as well as causing confusion. Under a simplified system, it is also hard to distinguish between words such as ‘whole’ and ‘hole’.

Ultimately, the rules of syntax allow us to communicate clearly. The addition of neologisms and changing meanings also enhance the ability to convey ideas and make the language more sophisticated. However, making too many alterations to the language will also make it very complicated to adapt to or causing misconception. This highlights that although the changes in English shows the evolution of language, some rules must be followed for clear communication.