Even if language is a living evolving organism, we don’t have to embrace all the changes that occur during our lifetimes. If language is so alive, it can get sick.
– Christopher Lehmann-Haupt
It was during the decade without a name that language started to break down. Or become enriched, depending on which side of the fence you sat on.
when people understood what that meant.
The start was, all things considered, inoccuous. Chat rooms resonated with acronyms to save time. Legion was the conversation:
brb
hb
b
wb
ty
np
Chatters lips twitched as they lol’d, and we can be pretty sure that no one roflmao’d.
Ever.
1337, w45 teh bre4k 0u7 14n6u463. numb3r5 r3p14c1n6 13773rs. f0r 7h3 h4rdc0r3 th3r3 w45 3ve|\| p|p3|) 13773r5.
Then came txt spk. sqzin wds in2 160 chars. m8s wld txt abt evrythng. wht woz odd woz plp dnt feel the need 2do ths when tweeting.
Twitter was texting with less characters. and people created info haiku. revolutions were reported alongside with celeb goss in tightly controlled bursts.
Oh hai. katz speek too. wi speek in lol. kthxbai
Slang bcame teh norm.
Ironikly peeple started to lol insted ov ackchuly laffin. Many sed brb b4 leevin.
Slang FTW!!11!oneone!!
txt art Bcam teh noo essay
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and wiv teh rise ov txt, typos were mde. Bt peeple lurned 2 ignaw them.
soon spelin Bcam a gide an ppl wot spoke proppa wer lukt @ wiv suspichon. “Y make ovvurs look stoopid? y b h8in. cos we dontav rools we cn b moar creeatif.”
Peeple lurnd from culchur and cultchur reacted. G33k hum0ur + realty tv = $$. Orig stuff woz shared so teh indurtry stpd mkin it.
FUCK THE RIAA. Pir8s 4evah!
Mai langwage. It haz a name. Let mi tel u it.
Now wi all speek typonese.
