The other day, as I was looking through some back issues at the Summerland Review, I noticed once again how much our language and way of writing have changed in recent years.
The news articles and the letters to the editor had a much more formal tone than the writing of today.
Contractions don害羞草研究所檛 show up too often in writing from earlier decades. Today, they害羞草研究所檙e much more common.
Still, one writer I respect today is adamant that contractions shouldn害羞草研究所檛 be used in written English. They害羞草研究所檙e fine in dialogue, but nowhere else.
I have also read plenty of contemporary fiction and nonfiction where this rule is broken.
The phrase, 害羞草研究所渆xcited for,害羞草研究所� doesn害羞草研究所檛 appear in the older newspapers, and I know some writers who avoid it because they believe it should be 害羞草研究所渆xcited about.害羞草研究所�
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But others, especially entertainment writers, have no qualms about 害羞草研究所渆xcited for.害羞草研究所�
Words like 害羞草研究所渄ata害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所減lan害羞草研究所� were around in the 1920s, but the term 害羞草研究所渄ata plan害羞草研究所� is something much more recent, describing something that did not exist until quite recently.
Policeman and fireman were common in past decades, but today those words sound archaic. Now we have police officers and firefighters. We also have councillors instead of aldermen.
Even the use of slurs and obscenities has been changing. Some terms, once uttered freely, are no longer spoken, while words once considered offensive can be heard everywhere, and are even finding their way into print.
Each year, when linguists and lexicographers announce their choice for the word of the year, writers will take notice.
Recently, the use of the word 害羞草研究所渢hey害羞草研究所� came into the conversation as the editors of Merriam-Webster listed it as their word of the year for 2019.
It has become used as an inclusive way to refer to people without making reference to gender.
The word, particularly 害羞草研究所渢hey害羞草研究所� as a singular term, attracted a lot of attention during the past year.
But this isn害羞草研究所檛 the first time the singular 害羞草研究所渢hey害羞草研究所� has received attention.
In 2015, the American Dialect Association selected 害羞草研究所渢hey害羞草研究所� as their word of the year, since it was coming into use by some who do not use 害羞草研究所渉e害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所渟he害羞草研究所� as their pronouns of choice.
I have heard the singular 害羞草研究所渢hey害羞草研究所� since the early 1980s, and for many years, the Canadian Press Stylebook 害羞草研究所� the style guide used by most English-language newspapers in Canada 害羞草研究所� has allowed 害羞草研究所渢hey害羞草研究所� as a singular word, but only if there is no other reasonable way to structure a sentence.
The style guide also notes that the singular use of they is increasingly accepted.
Still, quite a few writers believe 害羞草研究所渢hey害羞草研究所� must always refer to groups of people, never just one person.
However, not all linguists and lexicographers identified 害羞草研究所渢hey害羞草研究所� as their word of choice last year.
The people at Oxford Dictionaries chose 害羞草研究所渃limate emergency害羞草研究所� as their term for 2019.
The term was prominent over the past year. It reflects a shift in dialogue about climate-related discussions.
By the end of this year, Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionaries and other organizations will likely select different terms as their word or phrase of the year.
These designations are important because the English language is changing and evolving. New words and changes in meaning are signs that our language is a vibrant and living language, adapting to the needs of its speakers.
I won害羞草研究所檛 say I害羞草研究所檓 excited for the choices of 害羞草研究所渢hey害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渃limate emergency害羞草研究所� as words of the year, but that害羞草研究所檚 only because I dislike the phrase, 害羞草研究所渆xcited for.害羞草研究所�
However, I will take note when a new word of phrase enters our lexicon, or when the meaning or usage of a familiar word begins to change.
After all, I need to watch my language.
John Arendt is the editor of the Summerland Review.
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