One thing about language is that it evolves over time, right? Words that once had a certain meaning could mean a whole complete other idea or concept in another point in time. That’s just how it’s always been. Words get used differently, and maybe get spelled differently, maybe sound differently, but over time the language evolves.
And who are we to forcefully put a stop to the evolution of language? Where would we be without the advancement and constant reworking and restructuring of society? I won’t even say society, but of life, you know? It’s a constant process, constant changes all the time.
And when we put a stop to certain flows, in ways even… I’m going to use an example. There are certain words within the English lexicon, you know, here in North America, that if you were to use them, people would be offended, be outraged. And these words, maybe eras ago, had completely different meanings, and were used freely.
And then at a certain point, the name was adopted or changed or this or that, used in another context. And that context became the main driving context culturally for a period of time. And now, if you were to use that word in any other meaning, the same way this word has changed its meaning from the past, if you were to try and use that word in a different meaning outside of what has currently been determined, you would receive backlash for it. But nobody really thinks to look at language as progressive.
Society maybe has this false sense of, we’ve perfected everything already, so there’s no need for change. But that is just not true at all. So why is it that words that were once completely different ideas, in this present day and age, we’re not able to use them in new ideas, despite the fact that they might have had different connotations, different ideas in the modern era? Who says I’m using it in that connotation?
The word is to be used. There’s only so many sounds I can make with my mouth, without having to learn how to make new sounds. Because in a way, language is about just making the right sounds. Unless we’re willing to restructure English to allow for more sounds, who says I’m not allowed to use this word in a different context, with a different connotation?
Isn’t that what English has been about?
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