Change is inevitable in any living language, and English's global dominance has made it particularly susceptible to such natural evolution. Change can happen for many reasons; the list below is non-exhaustive, but provides some examples:
Influence from other languages and cultures
Changes in social values that must be reflected in speakers' usage
Filling gaps in the lexicon for advancements, particularly technological
Linguistic creativity among speakers
Speakers trying to improve efficiency of communication
Generational change
Each generation of speakers naturally develops some vocabulary during their teenage years that differentiates them from their elders. This use of slang can be used to build rapport and in-group membership with others who are similar in age, while excluding older generations who initially do not understand. It can also be a marker of individual identity.
In some cases, slang from younger generations will eventually filter upwards through age groups until it is more widely understood, at which point the teenagers abandon it in favour of new slang.
Sometimes, however, the slang will become more entrenched in everyday vocabulary and will become a distinguishing feature of that generation's speech patterns.
This post will provide some examples of this process across recent generations.
For examples of 2021 teenage slang, see our post here.
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As a starting point, look at the examples on the website below of teenage slang from each decade:
Activity:
Find the decade when your parents would have been teenagers. Ask them if they remember using any of the slang listed, or if they still use it! If they disagree with the examples listed here, ask them if they can think of any others from their own experience.
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Language is a constant battleground in the 'Generation Wars' (not a literal war, just different generations playfully having a go at each other!)
The article below gives some great examples of the linguistic fault lines between Gen Y (Millennials) and Gen Z. In general, 'Gen Y' or 'Millennials' are considered to be those born between the early 80s and the mid-90s. 'Gen Z' spans from the mid-90s to the mid-2010s.
Sydney Morning Herald - What is 'cheugy'? Only the latest Gen Z v Millennial tiff
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Let's take a closer look at some millennial slang:
Unfortunately for millennials, as they approach middle age, they are finding that much of the slang that developed in their youth is now considered old and lame by the younger generations.
For example:
Doggo language
'Doggo' language is often considered to be a millennial feature of speech, as the internet was really starting to become our dominant form of communication while millennials were in their teenage years. 'Doggo lingo', as some call it, evolved online among dog lovers who wanted to show their appreciation for their canine friends through their linguistic choices.
This style of speech is particularly interesting, not only due to the breadth of its vocabulary, but also the consistency of its non-Standard morphological and syntactic features across the sociolect.
Activity:
Watch the (very short!) 'doggo' videos below and see how many metalanguage terms you can link to the linguistic examples provided.
Read more about the features of this playful dog-lovers' language below:
Old emoji
Now that emoji have been around long enough to have undergone generational change, millennials are finding that some traditionally popular emoji have gone out of fashion.
Finally, here's an example of a millennial realising that her generation's slang is officially old!
Don't worry, it happens to every generation eventually.
There's no escaping language change!
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