Versatility and Development of the English Language, As Shown Through Slang Words

Alright, to begin with, being raised by parents both of whom are professors of English Literature, has really required me to converse in "proper", if you must, English. From the days that I began speaking English, I have always been taught to use proper diction, syntax, and to limit the use of slang words, as it was deemed improper by my oh so proper parents. This influence stuck to me, through primary school, high school, and even as I pursued my journalism course in University. I rarely used slang.

Or, at least I thought I rarely used slang. 

Notice how my parents limited my use of slang, instead of prohibiting it? Even they knew, as firm believers of -- dare I say -- old-fashioned English, that slang is a component of a developing language. That slang is inevitable, and impossible to avoid. It is in the essence of slang that the English language reflects its versatility and development. 

So what exactly is slang?

It is defined by the oxford dictionary as "a type of language consisting of words and phrases regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people". Their example was "grass" being a slang for "marijuana".

Let's break that down:

1. Though regarded as very informal, slang is still considered a type of language. 
2. It is more common in speech than writing because writing is often executed in a more formal fashion, as in novels, speeches, poems, articles, and other such mediums. Other forms of writing such as diary entries and blog posts such as this are not always considered as an "official" form of writing. (Which is sort of biased, but I guess that's how the world works).
3. It is defined as being restricted to a particular context or a group of people. However, this does not mean that only one particular group of people use slang, or that slang is only used in a particular context. This simply means that a slang word, such as grass, would only be used in context or by a group of people, and that different slang words are used by different people and different contexts.

Others, such as my parents, view slang as slurred language. 

So to get to the subject of this post: There has been some controversy online about the relatively recent addition of the word "selfie" to the Oxford dictionary in 2013. 

Selfie, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary.

More controversy arose with "selfie" being labelled as Oxford dictionary's Word of the Year, as it is "a term with lasting potential as a word of cultural significance". 

Cultural significance.

Oxford dictionary is essentially saying that selfies are a reflection of what is considered significant in today's culture. (Of course, taking into consideration particular contexts and groups of people).

While I do not particularly have a problem with this, as I myself have taken a so-called "selfie" before, others seem to have contrasting opinions.

Some opinions I have come across various Internet websites are:

"[Selfies] are a sad inditement and reflection of social values"

"[Selfies] are indicative of the kind of morons we have become"

"The entire concept of a selfie is sad and embarrassing"

"[Selfies] are a new level of bastardisation"

Before we get too heated, let's put "selfies" into context. The first picture ever taken was, indeed, a selfie, taken by Robert Cornelius in 1839.

So this begs the question, are selfies really a reflection of today's society? Are they really indicative of the morons we have become? As evident from the photo above, selfies have been around for quite some time, it is only now that someone (Oxford Dictionary) has made it official. As a result, it is only now that opposition against selfies have risen. 

Selfies are amongst a plethora of slang words that have recently been added to the Oxford Dictionary, such as: Photobomb, Emoticon, Polyamory, and Agritourism. (Though Polyamory and Agritourism don't necessarily sound slang, in actuality, they are).

Another point that I want to briefly discuss is the change in the usage of language, as a reflection of the versatility of the English language.

The way in which we use language changes, and this change is inevitable. We are bound to change the way we use language because of the changes in the society that we are accustomed to. Language -- in the form of diction or syntax-- can change because of an explicit influence, or because of its versatile and adaptable nature.

An example of this is the word graduate. We are familiar with the use of graduate as "He graduates high school tomorrow". Whereas, the traditional use of this word is "He will be graduated from high school tomorrow". The former use is more common today, however is it still regarded as improper by some traditionalists (such as my parents).

The changing use of language, in my experience, does not spark as much controversy and opposition as the popularisation of slang words do. Perhaps it is only the nature of a particular slang word, or the fact that it is unfamiliar, that causes people to react. The changing use of language, on the other hand, is more a transition, as opposed to an addition.