It’s a fact, more written communication exists in today’s modern age than ever before. This is largely as a result of the platforms, whether it be a blog, email or letter, upon which English language are shared, rapidly expanding, and it is a trend that is sure to continue.
However, herein lies a valuable lesson. As communication evolves, the use – or misuse – of the English language appears to be on the rise.
It’s an observation that is clearly illustrated by the word ‘literally’ recently making it on to the pages of the Oxford English Dictionary as a definition. This informal treatment of the word – as a term for emphasis when a statement isn’t true – has been widely disputed amid concerns it is breaking up the English language.
However, this newer usage – describing something non-literal as a form of exaggeration – has become increasingly frequent over the years. But the word ‘literally’ has always been used for added effect or emphasis.
If you were to write, ‘the book is literally 500 pages long’ the statement may be precise, but its precision doesn’t depend on the use of the word ‘literally’, the emphasis it introduces to the sentence may, in fact, introduce doubt about the precision.
Another word in which a lack of care appears to have crept in, is the word ‘like.’ Often applied as a slang interjection and cited as one of the most disliked phrases in English, this word is often used where it simply doesn’t belong. For example:
‘That’s, like, so unfair…’ or
‘I want to buy a car that’s really, like, fast…’
The list of mishandled words is endless and paints an extremely important picture. Handle language with care or risk the true meaning of words being lost forever.
