Evolving words
Sorry still half asleep after my whopping 6.5 hours worth before work. My mind is a little more inane when I'm tired than usual but this has been bugging me for a few days one word I think that may evolve it's meaning systematically each century. Thus next to the word bollocks which is possibly the worlds most versatile word (and has well over 20 meanings), the word "GAY".
Have you noticed:
In the 19th century it meant "Happy".
In the 20th century it meant "Homosexual"
Now in the 21st century it means "Crap,not very good,etc" and to call somebody gay no longer implies homosexuality but "Meanness, stingyness, or non co-operative".
Sorry I know it's a rather odd thing to go on about but I just found it interesting, I wonder what that word will mean in the 22nd century (If we haven't all blown each other up by then :D )
Can anyone else think of any words that kinda follow suite, or have evolved in such a way?
Have you noticed:
In the 19th century it meant "Happy".
In the 20th century it meant "Homosexual"
Now in the 21st century it means "Crap,not very good,etc" and to call somebody gay no longer implies homosexuality but "Meanness, stingyness, or non co-operative".
Sorry I know it's a rather odd thing to go on about but I just found it interesting, I wonder what that word will mean in the 22nd century (If we haven't all blown each other up by then :D )
Can anyone else think of any words that kinda follow suite, or have evolved in such a way?
Post edited by dm_boozefreek on
Every night is curry night!
Comments
http://www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Linguistics/SociolinguisticsAnthropologicalL/?view=usa&ci=9780195204698
An extract is here
As it says, Culture is a word with multiple layers of meaning and historical reversals.
Class would be another 'class'ic. A good way of illustrating this through ambiguity would be to say that Keywords is a class book.
Once it meant someone with a mental problem. How it means somthing a little wacky but cool.
Oh wow thats mental.
Bad is one example of a word's meaning being morphed. Before 1982 the word bad mean't naughty, awfull or rotten.
But thanks to MJ and other 1980's so called cool people bad actually meant good!!??!!
Whilst were on the topic of words misueed. I hate it when people use the term Mate when they dont even know you.
Whats the matter with you mate??
What you looking at mate??
Sorry mate it's more than my jobs worth.
What is with all this mate stuff. You can also substitute mate for pal and thats equally annoying. However, if you substitute it with 'my friend' it does not sound as sarcastic and can ascually difuse a potentially worsening situation if sounding a little rediculous.
Whats the matter with you my friend??
What you looking at my friend??
Sorry my friend it's more than my jobs worth.
(pleeyz ignoure mi pour yuse ov gramour)
polaroids - unfortunate ailment in Arctic conditions
arsenic - to steal buttocks
philharmonic - to feed the Queen
expert: saggy.
digression: Welsh fighting talk.
chafe: a posh chav.
euthanasia: young people in China.
gastronome: flatulent elf.
impending: death of a pixie.
Colonnade: A fizzy enema
Disappear: To insult a Lord
Hoarding: Prostitute's microwave
Countryside: To kill Piers Morgan
Aromatic: A handy gadget used by Robin Hood
Toronto - an expression used by the Lone Ranger when drunkenly addressing his colleague
Humpty Dumpty - one who has been humped and dumped.
intercontinental - one who has wet themselves all over the world
Yeah, very funny :)
NOT SUITABLE FOR MINORS!!!
Greetings "How the fuck are ya?"
Fraud "I got fucked by the car dealer."
Resignation "Oh, fuck it!"
Trouble "I guess I'm fucked now."
Aggression "FUCK YOU!"
Disgust "Fuck me."
Confusion "What the fuck.......?"
Difficulty "I don't understand this fucking business!"
Despair "Fucked again..."
Pleasure "I fucking couldn't be happier."
Displeasure "What the fuck is going on here?"
Lost "Where the fuck are we."
Disbelief "UNFUCKING BELIEVABLE!"
Retaliation "Up your fucking ass!"
Denial "I didn't fucking do it."
Perplexity "I know fuck all about it."
Apathy "Who really gives a fuck, anyhow?"
Greetings "How the fuck are ya?"
Suspicion "Who the fuck are you?"
Panic "Let's get the fuck out of here."
Directions "Fuck off."
Disbelief "How the fuck did you do that?"
It has also been used by many notable people throughout history...
"What the fuck was that?"
- Mayor of Hiroshima
"Where the fuck is all this water coming from?"
- Captain of the Titanic
"That's not a real fucking gun."
- John Lennon
"Who's gonna fucking find out?"
- Richard Nixon
"Heads are going to fucking roll."
- Anne Boleyn
"Let the fucking woman drive."
- Commander of Space Shuttle
"What fucking map?"
- "Challenger," Mark Thatcher
"Any fucking idiot could understand that."
- Albert Einstein
"It does so fucking look like her!"
- Picasso
"How the fuck did you work that out?"
- Pythagoras
"You want what on the fucking ceiling?"
- Michaelangelo
"Fuck a duck."
- Walt Disney
"Why?- Because its fucking there!"
- Edmund Hilary
"I don't suppose its gonna fucking rain?"
- Joan of Arc
"Scattered fucking showers my ass."
- Noah
"I need this parade like I need a fucking hole in my head."
- John F. Kennedy
Just cos its your, birthday, don't think you can go around doing this sort of stuff laddy!
Andrew
Me?
short message filler
*grin*
I just have a long list of these New Definitions in a file here.