Language

I am fascinated by the way language is a fluid flexible ever-changing thing. These days it is rapidly changing and variable.
A couple of hundred years ago it was quite different. English was very much more like the Germanic languages with words like ‘thee’ ‘thou’ ‘thine’ and ‘thy’, now replaced with ‘you’ and ‘yours’ etc.
Some words simply go out of fashion are not used. E.g. ‘twice’ is still used but ‘thrice’ is not.
In the past language change was very slow and the same vernacular was used for hundreds of years without changing. Nowadays language can change over a matter of years or even months.
There is a lot of snobbery about speech. But these days many of the prejudices have been overcome.

My grandfather was a ‘country boy’ and spoke with a broad Lancashire dialect. As a young person I just accepted this and didn’t think much of it. Now after his death, I realise, I was privileged to hear this authentically spoken dialect. Most of the language spoken today is affected by TV and radio and local dialects are virtually non existent.
Its sad that these things are disappearing.