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HOW LANGUAGE CHANGES OVER TIME
4 Generations of Communication: A Caring Letter from Samuel to Adelaide * Part 2
How style, slang, and names change over time
Social behavior changes over time, gradually shifting from formal etiquette to a more casual conduct. In a bygone era, corsets and top hats were standard, and voicing an unpopular opinion could mean social death. Compare that to today where people go out in their jammies and are encouraged to “speak their truth.”
And when behaviors change, so do writing styles.
As sentences shrink and word counts decrease, punctuation becomes scarce. Commas, ellipses, and period/end stops were once required but over time, grammar rules have relaxed. Today, punctuation marks have been reduced to unnecessary nuisances.
Long ago when formal language style was the norm, indirect language served as the cushion that shielded readers from harsh sentiment. As time progressed, slang became an acceptable way to soften our words and build rapport with readers.
As you read four generations of communication, notice the very different writing styles, including how we name ourselves.
