There are many species of life that are more than able to communicate, but humans have a unique form of communication. We are the only species capable of using language as a form of communication. Think about the first people and how difficult it would have been for them to communicate without language. From never having a single word to over hundreds of thousands of words in modern times, all the words that were created in order for people to communicate are a part of a complex system. It is a difficult concept to understand because we’ve been using language for most of our lives and all of these words have been in place for thousands of years. Language is something that is constantly changing, it’s not an every day change, but it is gradually evolving. For the most part, language is passed down through generations so parents and children are able to communicate with one another. Changes in language have occurred throughout centuries over a short period of time and have evolved through different degrees of English such as old English, middle English, and modern English.
However, old English wasn’t the first form of English created, but it’s the foundation of our modern day English. It has come down from many variations of other languages but it’s roots came from the West-Germanic language. The old English language had many variations occur from the fifth century to the mid twelfth century. This was due to all the wars in Europe over land and the struggle for power. The language spoken was, for the most part, a result of whoever had power. Generally, a society would speak the language of the king since these earlier eras believed in the divine right of the king. Most people in modern day America would not be able to understand the language and writings of this time. As a matter a fact they, wouldn’t be able to recognize some of the letters. Beowulf was one novel written in the old English language during the year 1066 and is just one example of the complex forms of old English. Written towards the end of old English and the start of middle English, there were many centuries before and after Beowulf where the old English language was still evolving; however, it was the first writing recorded in history that used the old English language. Many of the characters and spelling are far from similar to modern day. It is much easier to comprehend. Â
Consequently, the late modern English era was created. Late modern English started in the nineteenth century and goes all the way up to present day. The biggest boom in language reform has occurred just recently. The main factor behind this is the new improvements in technology. Within the last few years technological advancements have exploded. One of the easiest ways to communicate with people in modern times is to send a quick text. Generally speaking, a person will change the spelling of words, drop vowels or a repeated letter, replace words with numbers, and even use made up acronyms while texting to make things quick and simple. This poor use of grammar, spelling, and punctuation creates bad habits for the youth.
Language is always evolving and the English language might have gone through the quickest phase of evolution which can be seen through examples of old English, middle English, and modern English. These changes may be subtle or drastic as verbal and written methods of communication change with cultures and societies. Language reform has occurred for centuries now and as long as societies and cultures evolve, language will continue to change to meet the needs of communication.
