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Slang/Abbreviations of words?

Blurry

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Feb 21, 2014
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Ah, I think we all know the instantaneous pain of seeing a poorly constructed sentence, with shortened words such as u and lyk, (You and Like), even the miss use of They're/Their/There can get on anyone's nerves.

I'm just wondering why some people choose to do it? Even with the mass amounts of spell-check software and predictive text on the majority of devices I still notice this to be a huge problem.

I know the majority of people would just assume that it is a younger generation who are 'lazy' and 'hipster' and don't take any notice of correctly punctuating words and even spelling them to the full, but I have noticed it appearing in 16+ages.

I mean to be quite literal, I'm only 14. I may be more mature and well mannered than the majority of youth at my age, but I feel it is no exception.
You may also take into consideration that yes, I am British. The stereotypes flood into your head, that I enjoy eating scones and tea, but I don't. I absolutely hate tea and very much hate scones.

It doesn't help that I was originally brought up close to Birmingham, one of what I would consider the most ill mannered people in the UK, personal opinion obviously.

I would like to think that just because of where I was brought up, or where my hometown is, wouldn't change my ability to learn and speak correctly.

Jake/Blurry.
I hope nobody takes offense to anything I have said, as I will reiterate, This is my personal opinion. Feel free to voice yours in the replies.
 

Bh13

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I agree completely with you. Poeple now days don't know how to communicate, and it's the worst when they are texting (personal opinion). I think the most likely reason is because they have been texting like that for so long it's become a habit, but as to why they don't stop I have no idea.
 

pipkiksass

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Ah, I think we all know the instantaneous pain of seeing a poorly constructed sentence, with shortened words such as u and lyk, (You and Like), even the miss use of They're/Their/There can get on anyone's nerves.

I'm just wondering why some people choose to do it? Even with the mass amounts of spell-check software and predictive text on the majority of devices I still notice this to be a huge problem.

I know the majority of people would just assume that it is a younger generation who are 'lazy' and 'hipster' and don't take any notice of correctly punctuating words and even spelling them to the full, but I have noticed it appearing in 16+ages.

I mean to be quite literal, I'm only 14. I may be more mature and well mannered than the majority of youth at my age, but I feel it is no exception.
You may also take into consideration that yes, I am British. The stereotypes flood into your head, that I enjoy eating scones and tea, but I don't. I absolutely hate tea and very much hate scones.

It doesn't help that I was originally brought up close to Birmingham, one of what I would consider the most ill mannered people in the UK, personal opinion obviously.

I would like to think that just because of where I was brought up, or where my hometown is, wouldn't change my ability to learn and speak correctly.

Jake/Blurry.
I hope nobody takes offense to anything I have said, as I will reiterate, This is my personal opinion. Feel free to voice yours in the replies.

Ah, the old debate about descriptive and proscriptive linguistics.

English is, and always has been, a living language. Lexicographers of English, ever since Johnson, have catalogued how English speakers use their language. Note the word 'selfie' was the Oxford Dictionaries word of the year for 2013. It is yet to be added to the OED, but it will be.

Who knows, in years to come perhaps 'lyk' will become the common spelling, and 'like' will be listed as archaic?

Although I agree strongly, there is a school of thought in linguistics that many of us hark back to an idealised historic point in our language that never truly existed. Perhaps English was never the 'pure' language we think it was, and these modern 'textisms' are just the latest foreign arrivals.
 

Blurry

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Messages
77
Location
United Kingdom
Ah, the old debate about descriptive and proscriptive linguistics.

English is, and always has been, a living language. Lexicographers of English, ever since Johnson, have catalogued how English speakers use their language. Note the word 'selfie' was the Oxford Dictionaries word of the year for 2013. It is yet to be added to the OED, but it will be.

Who knows, in years to come perhaps 'lyk' will become the common spelling, and 'like' will be listed as archaic?

Although I agree strongly, there is a school of thought in linguistics that many of us hark back to an idealised historic point in our language that never truly existed. Perhaps English was never the 'pure' language we think it was, and these modern 'textisms' are just the latest foreign arrivals.


Wow. That really is food for thought. I appreciate your reply :)
 

TDM

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I also hate bad grammar, but I do occasionally use abbreviations on the internet. I don't like how I behave on the internet; I'm quite childish (and I talk a lot, even though I never say anything or talk to people in real life if I can avoid it). But I can't help it. I don't shorten single words, like u, lyk etc., but I do say lol (which I hate, but often I can't think of anything better to say). I've never actually seen 'lyk' before today, but I hope I don't see it again.
 

pipkiksass

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I also hate bad grammar, but I do occasionally use abbreviations on the internet. I don't like how I behave on the internet; I'm quite childish (and I talk a lot, even though I never say anything or talk to people in real life if I can avoid it). But I can't help it. I don't shorten single words, like u, lyk etc., but I do say lol (which I hate, but often I can't think of anything better to say). I've never actually seen 'lyk' before today, but I hope I don't see it again.

I just 'lol'ed in another thread (Alex ER thread). A small part of me dies every time I do it.
 

Rocky0701

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I also hate the use of bad grammar, and the shortening of words. Why would someone say "lyk" when "like" is only one more letter, which will take them about 1/10 of a second to type? I believe that a lot of it has to do with the bandwagon effect. If a huge part of society didn't talk like that, then other people wouldn't feel the urge to either. Even when texting, i will write out a sentence with full words, and punctuation marks. I do however, as hard as it is to admit, say abbreviations such as "Lol" "JK" or "BRB", because it is simply jsut a much faster way to get the point across. Another thing that i do is use smiley faces :) or frowny faces :(.
-The average Grammar Nazi.
 

Rocky0701

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I also hate the use of bad grammar, and the shortening of words. Why would someone say "lyk" when "like" is only one more letter, which will take them about 1/10 of a second to type? I believe that a lot of it has to do with the bandwagon effect. If a huge part of society didn't talk like that, then other people wouldn't feel the urge to either. Even when texting, i will write out a sentence with full words, and punctuation marks. I do however, as hard as it is to admit, say abbreviations such as "Lol" "JK" or "BRB", because it is simply jsut a much faster way to get the point across. Another thing that i do is use smiley faces :) or frowny faces :(.
-The average Grammar Nazi.
 

JasonK

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I also hate the use of bad grammar, and the shortening of words. Why would someone say "lyk" when "like" is only one more letter, which will take them about 1/10 of a second to type? I believe that a lot of it has to do with the bandwagon effect. If a huge part of society didn't talk like that, then other people wouldn't feel the urge to either. Even when texting, i will write out a sentence with full words, and punctuation marks. I do however, as hard as it is to admit, say abbreviations such as "Lol" "JK" or "BRB", because it is simply jsut a much faster way to get the point across. Another thing that i do is use smiley faces :) or frowny faces :(.
-The average Grammar Nazi.
You talk about bandwagoning, but that's just how language evolves. Something is only "correct" in a language because its speakers accept it as the norm. If, over time, lyk becomes the normal spelling, then it will be just as correct as like is today.

And why would you be ashamed of using abbreviations? They're useful and time-saving. In formal situations they might not be appropriate, but when the context is right there's no reason not to use them.
 

Rocky0701

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You talk about bandwagoning, but that's just how language evolves. Something is only "correct" in a language because its speakers accept it as the norm. If, over time, lyk becomes the normal spelling, then it will be just as correct as like is today.

And why would you be ashamed of using abbreviations? They're useful and time-saving. In formal situations they might not be appropriate, but when the context is right there's no reason not to use them.
As far as bandwagons, you are right, but when people begin to spell words multiple ways, it just makes things complicated and hard to understand for some people. It also makes people seem less intelligent, because of using words incorrectly (by incorrectly, i mean spelling words different than a dictionary would, vs the majority of people following a bandwagon) Things would be much easier if people just spelled out "like" instead of being too lazy to put "lyk". As far as abbrviations, i don't really have a problem with them, but i have texted people who will literally say "Lol" in almost every text, or talk like this: "Lol i gtg ttyl" which can be annoying sometimes. Very good points though! :tu
 

Rocky0701

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You talk about bandwagoning, but that's just how language evolves. Something is only "correct" in a language because its speakers accept it as the norm. If, over time, lyk becomes the normal spelling, then it will be just as correct as like is today.

And why would you be ashamed of using abbreviations? They're useful and time-saving. In formal situations they might not be appropriate, but when the context is right there's no reason not to use them.
As far as bandwagons, you are right, but when people begin to spell words multiple ways, it just makes things complicated and hard to understand for some people. It also makes people seem less intelligent, because of using words incorrectly (by incorrectly, i mean spelling words different than a dictionary would, vs the majority of people following a bandwagon) Things would be much easier if people just spelled out "like" instead of being too lazy to put "lyk". As far as abbrviations, i don't really have a problem with them, but i have texted people who will literally say "Lol" in almost every text, or talk like this: "Lol i gtg ttyl" which can be annoying sometimes. Very good points though! :tu
 

brian724080

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Jan 14, 2013
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As far as bandwagons, you are right, but when people begin to spell words multiple ways, it just makes things complicated and hard to understand for some people. It also makes people seem less intelligent, because of using words incorrectly (by incorrectly, i mean spelling words different than a dictionary would, vs the majority of people following a bandwagon) Things would be much easier if people just spelled out "like" instead of being too lazy to put "lyk". As far as abbrviations, i don't really have a problem with them, but i have texted people who will literally say "Lol" in almost every text, or talk like this: "Lol i gtg ttyl" which can be annoying sometimes. Very good points though! :tu

Some people use that stuff so much that they don't even know what it stands for...

I used to use shortcuts like those, but to an extent of not capitalizing, using "u", "ur", "lol", etc. I started to find my own language annoying, so I stopped doing that
 

DeeDubb

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You talk about bandwagoning, but that's just how language evolves. Something is only "correct" in a language because its speakers accept it as the norm. If, over time, lyk becomes the normal spelling, then it will be just as correct as like is today.

And why would you be ashamed of using abbreviations? They're useful and time-saving. In formal situations they might not be appropriate, but when the context is right there's no reason not to use them.

This is actually the response that is correct, but grammar nazis don't want to hear it.

Language is ever evolving and changing, and English orthography is so flawed that I don't understand why people try to defend or worry about the silliness of proper spelling especially on the internet in casual writing. As long as you can understand the message someone is trying to convey, who cares how they use the tool? I say "tool" because that's exactly what written language is. It's a tool to convey a message. It's not a reason to judge someone's intelligence. You (grammar nazis) see someone write "there", "their", or "they're" incorrectly, and you freak out, but when you hear them used in speech, where they sound identical, there's no issue. If you can't see past a few spelling errors to take in someone's message, then you are the problem, not them.
 

Eleanor

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Knowing the differences between words that sound the same is very important in learning other languages and understanding your own. For example, in English, "you" can be plural or singular and many people make up a plural form because they don't understand that (yous, youse or you's). In French, "vous" is formal or plural, while "tu" is informal and singular.
 

JasonK

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Knowing the differences between words that sound the same is very important in learning other languages and understanding your own. For example, in English, "you" can be plural or singular and many people make up a plural form because they don't understand that (yous, youse or you's). In French, "vous" is formal or plural, while "tu" is informal and singular.

Youse and Y'all are not people "making up a plural form", they're real words in the dialects that these people speak. You can be singular or plural in "Standard English", but many dialects have separate forms.
 

DeeDubb

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Knowing the differences between words that sound the same is very important in learning other languages and understanding your own. For example, in English, "you" can be plural or singular and many people make up a plural form because they don't understand that (yous, youse or you's). In French, "vous" is formal or plural, while "tu" is informal and singular.

youse and y'all is actually filling a need that English doesn't have. Second person plural is present in most languages. As much as it pains you to here "y'all", that's actually language innovation occurring. Language can, has, and will always change. That's how it works. The language we speak today is already vastly different than the language spoken just a few hundred years ago.
 

Dene

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Ah, I think we all know the instantaneous pain of seeing a poorly constructed sentence, with shortened words such as "u" and "lyk", ("you" and "like"). Even the miss use of "they're"/"their"/"there" can get on anyone's nerves.

I'm just wondering why some people choose to do it? Even with the mass amounts of spell-check software and predictive text on the majority of devices I still notice this to be a huge problem.

I know the majority of people would just assume that it is a younger generation who are 'lazy' and 'hipster' and don't take any notice of correctly punctuating words and even spelling them to the full, but I have noticed it appearing in 16+ages.

I mean to be quite literal, I'm only 14. I may be more mature and well mannered than the majority of youth at my age, but I feel it is no exception.
You may also take into consideration that yes, I am British. The stereotypes flood into your head, that I enjoy eating scones and tea, but I don't. I absolutely hate tea and very much hate scones.

It doesn't help that I was originally brought up close to Birmingham, comprising what I would consider the most ill mannered people in the UK, personal opinion obviously.

I would like to think that just because of where I was brought up, or where my hometown is, wouldn't change my ability to learn and speak correctly.

Jake/Blurry.
I hope nobody takes offense to anything I have said, as I will reiterate, this is my personal opinion. Feel free to voice yours in the replies.

I agree completely with you. People nowadays don't know how to communicate, and it's the worst when they are texting (personal opinion). I think the most likely reason is because they have been texting like that for so long it's become a habit, but as to why they don't stop I have no idea.

I also hate the use of bad grammar, and the shortening of words. Why would someone say "lyk" when "like" is only one more letter, which will take them about 1/10 of a second to type? I believe that a lot of it has to do with the bandwagon effect. If a huge part of society didn't talk like that, then other people wouldn't feel the urge to either. Even when texting, I will write out a sentence with full words, and punctuation marks. I do however, as hard as it is to admit, say abbreviations such as "Lol" "JK" or "BRB", because it is simply just a much faster way to get the point across. Another thing that I do is use smiley faces :) or frowny faces :(.
-The average Grammar Nazi.

urwelcome

(and I didn't even touch on the horrendously written sentences).
 
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