# How English Is Evolving into a Language We May Not Even Understand **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 7, 2008, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522 "2008-07-07T04:14:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/1 "2008-07-07T04:14:37Z")
Story [here](http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/16-07/st_essay/). “If you are stolen, call the police at once. Please omnivorously put the waste in garbage can. Deformed man lavatory.” – Sign in Beijing ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/2 "2008-07-07T15:37:58Z")
Article many interest. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/3 "2008-07-07T15:47:46Z")
Since English is certain to evolve forever, how could it _not_ become a new language? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/4 "2008-07-07T16:19:52Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Since English is certain to evolve forever, how could it _not_ become a new language? [/QUOTE] Word. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/5 "2008-07-07T16:31:09Z")
Dis been going on fo uh nice long while now. Old English iz uh completely foreign. I can tell you dat Shakespeare writes in uh fine ass tongue but I could barely tell what he wuz jivin’ about in high skoo. Such iz life. with muh beeotch. Hang loose. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/6 "2008-07-07T16:33:20Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Since English is certain to evolve forever, how could it _not_ become a new language? [/QUOTE] Macroevolution of languages is only a theory. No linguist has ever observed one language turning into a completely different language. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/7 "2008-07-07T16:33:30Z")
Please erode in time after using the stool pot. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/8 "2008-07-07T16:39:40Z")
[QUOTE=Rysto] Macroevolution of languages is only a theory. No linguist has ever observed one language turning into a completely different language. [/QUOTE] Someone should start a website to combat ignorant statements from fundies like you. [speechorigins.com](http://speechorigins.com) might work. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/9 "2008-07-07T16:40:03Z")
[QUOTE=Rysto] Macroevolution of languages is only a theory. No linguist has ever observed one language turning into a completely different language. [/QUOTE] Well, yeah, but once we defrost a Cornish speaker we will have one. But of course the ideas behind linguistic evolution are well established, having been observed for a couple or three centuries and over several dozen well-studied languages. Barring some breakthrough, it is close enough to established fact for government work. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/10 "2008-07-07T18:22:51Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Well, yeah, but once we defrost a Cornish speaker we will have one. But of course the ideas behind linguistic evolution are well established, having been observed for a couple or three centuries and over several dozen well-studied languages. Barring some breakthrough, it is close enough to established fact for government work. [/QUOTE] Nobody is disputing that languages change over time. However, English has only changed a bit since its original form as spoken by God when he wrote the King James Bible. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/11 "2008-07-07T18:37:49Z")
01100100011110100100011110101010101011100010001011111101010101000001101010001011100010100011. 0101010111100110! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/12 "2008-07-07T18:45:52Z")
dzGª®"ýT‹Š5^ to you too, buddy! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/13 "2008-07-07T18:56:04Z")
[QUOTE=thelurkinghorror] Nobody is disputing that languages change over time. However, English has only changed a bit since its original form as spoken by God when he wrote the King James Bible. [/QUOTE] I love you. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/14 "2008-07-07T18:57:20Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] dzGª®"ýT‹Š5^ to you too, buddy! [/QUOTE] 010101110111101000111001110010100101111100001001. For 10100 minutes. in the 11110101000s. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/15 "2008-07-07T18:58:28Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] I love you. 😃 [/QUOTE] Vol. 10. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/16 "2008-07-07T19:03:38Z")
Not Vol. I? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/17 "2008-07-07T19:10:46Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] Vol. 10. [/QUOTE] That only works if someone says, “Oi! Love you!” and you ignore the punctuation 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/18 "2008-07-07T19:28:26Z")
O, I love… ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/19 "2008-07-07T19:38:12Z")
[QUOTE=Indistinguishable] Not Vol. I? [/QUOTE] Inflation. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522/20 "2008-07-07T19:40:11Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] Inflation. [/QUOTE] …makes a good girlfriend better? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-english-is-evolving-into-a-language-we-may-not-even-understand/455522.md?page=2)