Future of the English Language

[Dachs]

Not an Orwell fan?

Not an Orwell fanboy fan.

 

[Sharwood]

Not an Orwell fanboy fan.

I'm a fan of Orwell, and an Orwell fanboy fan, but not a fan of Orwell fanboy fans.

I'm not an Orwell fanboy, I strongly prefer his essays - one of which I quoted for my sig - than his stories. But the two I've read, his most famous works, where fairly good, albeit not the orgasmic experience I had been led to believe. Nowhere near enough characterisation.

 

[eastsidebagel]

http://www.xibalba.demon.co.uk/jbr/futurese.html
American language > *myeghan lengvaj
Early American /'merkn- 'leNgw@dZ/
Middle American /'mjergan 'leNgvadZ/
Classical American /'mjEhgan 'lEngvaZ/
Late American /'mjEghan 'lE~gvaZ/
Pronounced: ['mjEGg"n- 'l&~Nv@z.], i.e. "MYEGrhnn LANGvuzh"

George Washington > *Jwohj-wAjandan
Early American /dZordZ 'wAS@Ntn-/
Middle American /dZwordZ 'wAZandan/
Classical American /ZwohZ 'wAZandan/
Late American /ZwuhZ 'wOZandan/
Pronounced: [z.woj"z. 'wOzn-dn-], i.e. "zhwohghzh WAWZH'n'dnn"

Abraham Lincoln > *Yebraham-lengan
Early American /'ebr@h&m 'lINkn-/
Middle American /'jebraham 'leNgan/
Classical American /'jEbraham 'lEngan/
Late American /'jEbraham 'lE~gan/
Pronounced: ['jEbr@j"m- 'l&~Nn-], i.e. "YEB-rugh'm LANG'n"

William Shakespeare > *Wiyam-xexbih
Early American /'wilj@m 'Sekspir/
Middle American /'wiljam 'Sejspir/
Classical American /'wiwjam 'SEjspih/
Late American /'wijam 'SESbih/
Pronounced: ['wijm- 's.Es.pej"], i.e. "WEE-ymm SHESHpaygh"

red, white, blue > *read, *wed, *blu
Early American /rEd wait blu/
Middle American /'read wajd blu/
Classical American /'rEad wajd bly/
Late American /'rEad wEd bly/
Pronounced: ['rE@d wEd bly"], i.e. "REH-ud wed blü"

one, two, three, four, five > *wan, *tu, *tri, *foh, *faav
Early American /wVn tu Tri for faIv/
Middle American /wVn tu tri for faav/
Classical American /wan ty tri foh 'faav/
Late American /wa~ ty tri fuh 'faav/
Pronounced: [wa.~ tsy" tr<o>i foj" 'fa"@v], i.e. "wu(ng) tsü tree fohgh FUH-uv"

six, seven, eight, nine, ten > *sis, *seavam, *ed, *naen, *ten
Early American /sIks 'sEvn- et nain tIn/
Middle American /sis 'seavan ejd 'naen ten/
Classical American /sis 'sEavan Ejd 'naEn tEn/
Late American /sis 'sEavam Ed 'na~E~ tE~/
Pronounced: [sis 'sE@Bm- Ed 'na"~&~ ts&~], i.e. "cease SEH-uv'm ed NUH-a(ng) tsa(ng)"

California, Texas > *KyafwonyA, *Tesas
Early American /,k&l@'fornj@ 'tEks@s/
Middle American /,kjal'fornjA 'tesas/
Classical American /'kjawfohnjA 'tEsas/
Late American /'kjafwu~jO 'tEsas/
Pronounced: [kj<o>afw<o>o~jO tsEs@s], i.e. "KYUFFwoh(ng)-yaw TSESSuss"

Mercury, Venus > *Muhgyurri, *Vinas
Early American /'mRkjRri 'vin@s/
Middle American /'murgjRri 'vinas/
Classical American /'myhgjyhri 'vinas/
Late American /'myhgjyrri 'vinas/
Pronounced: ['mY"g"Gjy"rri 'vin@s], i.e. "MÖRHGyürrree VEEnus"

Earth, Mars > *Uhd, *MAahz
Early American /RT mArz/
Middle American /urD 'mAarz/
Classical American /yhd 'mOahz/
Late American /yhd 'mOahz/
Pronounced: [Y"j"d 'mO@j"z], i.e. "öghd MAW-ughz"

Jupiter, Saturn > *Jubwatuh, *Sarun
Early American /'dZup@tR 's&tRn/
Middle American /'dZuwbatur 'sadurn/
Classical American /'Zywbatyh 'sa*yhn/
Late American /'Zybwatyh 'sary~/
Pronounced: ['z.y"bw@tY"j" 'sarY"~], i.e. "ZHÜBwatögh SUH-rö(ng)"

Uranus, Neptune > *Yurranas, *Nettun
Early American /'jRr@n@s 'nEptun/
Middle American /'jRranas 'neptun/
Classical American /'jyhranas 'nEttyn/
Late American /'jyrranas 'nEtty~/
Pronounced: ['jY"rr@n@s 'nEttY"~], i.e. "YÜRrranas NET-tö(ng)"

This is how English will be by the year 3000 A.D. Early American=2100 A.D.; Middle American=2400 A.D.; Classical American=2700 A.D. and Late or Modern American is the spoken language at the year 3000 A.D.
If you wanna know how that could happen, I strongly recommend you to visit my posted link.

 

[Sharwood]

What I want to know is what the hell that says. Try to format it better please.

 

[Bill3000]

This is how English will be by the year 3000 A.D. Early American=2100 A.D.; Middle American=2400 A.D.; Classical American=2700 A.D. and Late or Modern American is the spoken language at the year 3000 A.D.
If you wanna know how that could happen, I strongly recommend you to visit my posted link.

That's not how English will be by the year 3000 AD. It's only one hypothetical construct of what the descendant of American English could look like, using natural sound changes. It is not what the descendent of American English would look like. Language change is chaotic and completely unpredictable.

The point of that page, namely, is that the major reasons why descendant languages are unintelligible from ancestral languages - systematic sound changes - such as shifts in vowel-sounds or verb-endings are the main reason Old English is unintelligible from Modern English, as opposed to vocabulary.

What I want to know is what the hell that says. Try to format it better please.

It's IPA, providing what words of an American language could hypothetically look like 1000 years from now.

 

[gangleri2001]

Will the English language ever lose it's former Germanic and Scandinavian origins and will it be evolved "out of itself" in the future?

I think it has already become and independent language. When you compare English with the others germanic languages, the first question that comes to mind is "Is English a germanic language?"

 

[Sharwood]

It's IPA, providing what words of an American language could hypothetically look like 1000 years from now.

I'm more concerned with the total lack of spacing.

 

[eastsidebagel]

When you compare English with the others germanic languages, the first question that comes to mind is "Is English a germanic language?"

Yes, it was pretty obvious for me the first time I saw it in school.

 

[warpus]

Wo ist meine mutter?
Where is my mother?

They even line up!

 

[eastsidebagel]

My arm is broken.
Mein Arm ist gebrochen.

It's Germanic alright.

 

[Sharwood]

Vergessen sie nicht, bicht, mein ohr in der Plastik Tasche zu bringen.
Please don't forget to bring my ear in the plastic bag.

The only German sentence I know.

 

[Masquerouge]

Who is questioning the fact that English is a Germanic language?

 

[eastsidebagel]

Vergessen sie nicht, bicht, mein ohr in der Plastik Tasche zu bringen.
Please don't forget to bring my ear in the plastic bag.

The only German sentence I know.

Vergessen Sie bitte nicht, mein Ohr in der Plastiktasche zu bringen. I corrected the sentence for you. Anyway, how could you remember such an utterly useless expression?

 

[Sharwood]

Vergessen Sie bitte nicht, mein Ohr in der Plastiktasche zu bringen. I corrected the sentence for you. Anyway, how could you remember such an utterly useless expression?

How is it useless? If I ever lose an ear in Germany or Austria, I'm prepared.

 

[scherbchen]

How is it useless? If I ever lose an ear in Germany or Austria, I'm prepared.

to be fair, cutting off foreigners' ears is somewhat of a national hobby...

 

[Sharwood]

to be fair, cutting off foreigners' ears is somewhat of a national hobby...

Well, after seeing holy king's avatar, I can believe that.

 

[gangleri2001]

Wo ist meine mutter?
Where is my mother?

They even line up!

What about these:

Garbage day!

Du hast den Müll nicht getrennt!

PS: Crappiest translation ever.

 

[LucyDuke]

Could somebody from the future (as far as 3000 A.D.) understand without any problems what we're talking right now?

Doubt it, that about the time difference between now and Beowulf.

I don't quite agree with mangxema, although English will continue to convolute itself, we've got much more writing now than we had in that millennium, and I think that that will slow the type of changes that have made Beowulf's English so dramatically different from what we use today. It won't be comparing today's newspapers to those of the 1700s, but it won't be as dramatic as pre-print evolution.

Will the English language will be greatly simplified in the future, in terms of grammar and vocabulary?

"Simplified" doesn't make a whole lot of sense in terms of language. No. Grammar will change, although it won't "simplify", and we'll certainly continue to expand vocabulary.

Will the English language ever lose it's former Germanic and Scandinavian origins and will it be evolved "out of itself" in the future?

That doesn't even make any sense. No.

Can you think of some examples of slang or colloquial spoken English in the future?

Whoever's making suggestions at this, I'd like the Powerball numbers, while you're at it.

 

[eastsidebagel]

Can you think of some examples of slang or colloquial spoken English in the future?

Well, I could think about something:
Lars: Ey De, aw-zet hangin', yo? (Hello friend, how do you do?)

Thadyze: Noddall comblaynin' ey, jast, skewl dy'm bitta latt yo! (I'm fine,

thank you, except that I'm a little bit late for school.)

Lars: Friggi mofo, de! Ya-gatta herrijapp! (I'm sorry to hear that, friend. You

have to hurry up!)

Thadyze: Dats no bad ey, cazz itza sports inda ferrstaf class, ain't me loosin'

much addall. (Dont' worry, I got PE in the first hour, so I won't miss so much.)

Lars: Biggam de lissan' thed. Anywad, gotcha en friggann day inda skewl!

(Good to hear that. Anyway, have a nice day in school!)

Soapp Thad gi'in ta skewl un nothang baddovinyench happind ta him al'cha day long.

(So Thad went to school and no other inconvenience happened to him all day long.)

 

[scherbchen]

I don't quite agree with mangxema, although English will continue to convolute itself, we've got much more writing now than we had in that millennium, and I think that that will slow the type of changes that have made Beowulf's English so dramatically different from what we use today. It won't be comparing today's newspapers to those of the 1700s, but it won't be as dramatic as pre-print evolution.

agreed with 100%.

there really wasn't a somewhat standardized spelling in Shakespeare's time. now English had bad timing when it comes to standardization of spelling because most of the most monumental changes happened at the time when it cristallized or afterwards. no use in crying over spilled milk, that's just the way it is.

but today with the ease of access to online resources that really should not be a major problem anymore, a nuisance? sure.

you also have to factor in the infamous Grammar Nazis when you talk about the online effect. is "yesterday I buy a book" (common in English-based creoles) intelligible? 100%. there really is no need to improve upon that sentence in order to improve communication, it would merely be in order to be more corrcet, to be closer to Standard English. and you will be reminded of this just about anytime you post in most forums.

now there is, of course, the issue of overt prestige (the ability to talk/write according to a prestigous standard) and covert prestige (the ability to correctly talk [write, usually not that big of an issue] a lower prestige variety of the language in order to affirm your standing within a language community. Gangsta Rap, Dread Talk, Redneck Speech, internet memes, etc).

but probably the biggest unifying factor that is unique to this (and the last) century is the wide availability of audio and video media as well as the (unconscious) awareness of the importance of varieties. the discussion of Hugh Laurie's American English on House is just one of the many examples I could quote.

so I'd say that any further change of the English language will most likely be restricted to vocabulary. pronounciation and morphology are pretty much set. pronounciation is, of course, subject to the prestige a certain variety has and that is subject to change and pretty much unpredictable.