The Declaration Of Language :: essays research papers

When, in the course of human language, it becomes necessary for people to create or redefine, words or phrases to express an object or an action; and to assume, among society, the acceptance and usage of these words and their definitions, in one’s own language, or idiolect. A decent respect to the opinions of mankind, requires that Americans should recognize slang adopted into language. We hold these truths to be self-evident: that language is expression of thought, in the form of speech or written symbols, that have agreed-upon meanings. That, many large speaking languages contain dialects, or other versions of languages within a community, that are different in some aspects of grammar, pronunciation, or vocabulary. That, because language is a form of one’s own ideas and expression, everyone possesses his or her own individual language, or idiolect. That, not only does perception change language, but that language changes perception. That, through the course of history, idiolects have shaped dialects, which have shaped language, which in turn, have shaped concepts. Conservatives, indeed, will dictate that languages will follow a narrow path toward a standard language. And accordingly, expression will follow the rules and guidelines that limit thought, rather than the ability to rethink old vocabulary and enrich new ones. When we speak, write, learn, and think in a slowly evolving vocabulary, which does not adapt to the more rapid introduction of cultures, concepts, fashion, and technology, we must add new meaning to conventional vocabulary. Such has been the language of Conservative American English speakers and writers, who have discouraged the use of creative language and the use of dialects and idiolects. Many individuals have not noticed that new vocabulary is, at many times, adopted into one’s language. A large number of slang words and phrases have been considered standard in today’s daily speech. To prove this, let us claim a few of the many slang terms that have been adopted. Slang has been used, where other words seemed unfit to describe a thought or feeling: "Awesome." "Radical." "Cool." "Far Out" New words that were created to describe new technology: A "cellular" or mobile telephone. The "internet" or the computer and modem accessed information highway. "Electronic mail" or computer generated mail. A "beeper" or an electronic paging device. Metaphors, similes, and creativeness also create slang: A coward is a "chicken." Money is "bread." A "ride" is a car. One thousand dollars is a "grand." People eat "grub." Smoking marijuana is the same thing as smoking "weed" or "pot.