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HOW AND WHY LANGUAGE CHANGES OVER TIME
4 Generations of Communication: A Caring Letter from Samuel to Adelaide * Part 1
How Writing Tools Shape Our Words
Letter writing has dramatically changed over time. We see striking transformations by comparing a Victorian writer’s elaborate prose with a 1950s typist’s hard-boiled style, a 1980s short memo, and today’s brief texting bursts.
The most obvious difference is the number of words used to speak to a loved one through writing:
In the 19th century, Samuel uses a whopping 181 words to air grievances to his sister. Fast forward one hundred years and “Sammykins” finds fault with his sister in 113 words. Only thirty years later, Sammy composes a 96-word business letter, and today, Sam and his sister text in real-time, clocking in at a meager 67 words — including the emojis!
After sampling four generations of communication, we’ll explore how writing tools influence our script.
The letter from a worried brother to his sister
- A Victorian brother pens a letter to his sister in the 1800s —
