The English language is getting dumber

[Anonymous]

This word is not new. According to Collins dictionary, the first recorded usage was around 1931 and it started to pick up in usage in the '80s.

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/keyboarding

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is cringeworthy when you join an organization these days and get “onboarded.”

Also not new. First known usage, according to Merriam-Webster, was in 1988.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onboarding

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, American English is absolutely getting “dumber” every day. Common usage puts the misused word in the dictionary and then we’re done. We’re losing key distinctions by accepting misuse.

Or languages always evolve. Ask a linguist.

Of course languages evolve to include more words and terms, not they laziness and misuse. Take nauseous/nauseated. We lost nauseated and use nauseous for both something that will make you feel like vomiting and feeling like vomiting. Why? Laziness. And don’t get me started on turning every noun into a verb!

We’re losing language precision.

Exactly. Why are we gifting things? What happened to giving gifts? And why are we sending invites for parties instead of sending invitations to invite sonmeone to a party?

Because people are stupid and lazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, American English is absolutely getting “dumber” every day. Common usage puts the misused word in the dictionary and then we’re done. We’re losing key distinctions by accepting misuse.

Or languages always evolve. Ask a linguist.

Of course languages evolve to include more words and terms, not they laziness and misuse. Take nauseous/nauseated. We lost nauseated and use nauseous for both something that will make you feel like vomiting and feeling like vomiting. Why? Laziness. And don’t get me started on turning every noun into a verb!

We’re losing language precision.

Maybe worry about your own typing and clunky grammar first.

[Anonymous]

How old are you, OP? I took keyboarding in the ninth grade back in '96.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, American English is absolutely getting “dumber” every day. Common usage puts the misused word in the dictionary and then we’re done. We’re losing key distinctions by accepting misuse.

Or languages always evolve. Ask a linguist.

Of course languages evolve to include more words and terms, not they laziness and misuse. Take nauseous/nauseated. We lost nauseated and use nauseous for both something that will make you feel like vomiting and feeling like vomiting. Why? Laziness. And don’t get me started on turning every noun into a verb!

We’re losing language precision.

Maybe worry about your own typing and clunky grammar first.

Well you just admitted that you had no counter-argument and the PP was correct. Way to embarrass yourself! Next time just don’t respond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This makes perfect sense because the skill is most useful on a keyboard rather than a typewriter. It was typing when people used typewriters, now it’s keyboarding for keyboards. Language changes, it’s not a sign of being dumbed down, but exemplifies how language adapts to be most useful to the people communicating with it.

Do you know that the keyboard of a typewriter is identical to the keyboard on a computer? And where the keys are located on a typewriter has always been called a keyboard.

NP. Where is the Ctrl key on a typewriter? How about Alt or function keys? How do you copy and paste on a typewriter? Undo?

[Anonymous]

Languages can't get dumb or dumber. Only the people who use them can.

[Anonymous]

My first grader is learning “to type on a keyboard”. Private school. Thank God. He’s also learning to read and write in cursive along with print/printing.

[Anonymous]

I learned keyboarding in 1993.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This makes perfect sense because the skill is most useful on a keyboard rather than a typewriter. It was typing when people used typewriters, now it’s keyboarding for keyboards. Language changes, it’s not a sign of being dumbed down, but exemplifies how language adapts to be most useful to the people communicating with it.

Do you know that the keyboard of a typewriter is identical to the keyboard on a computer? And where the keys are located on a typewriter has always been called a keyboard.

NP. Where is the Ctrl key on a typewriter? How about Alt or function keys? How do you copy and paste on a typewriter? Undo?

The letter placement is the exact same. All the keys of a typewriter are on a computer keyboard but not all the keys of a keyboard are on a typewriter.

And the PP is correct - way back in the 1950’s touch-typing book my grandmother gave me, the instructions were to “put your hands on the keyboard as illustrated”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, American English is absolutely getting “dumber” every day. Common usage puts the misused word in the dictionary and then we’re done. We’re losing key distinctions by accepting misuse.

Or languages always evolve. Ask a linguist.

Of course languages evolve to include more words and terms, not they laziness and misuse. Take nauseous/nauseated. We lost nauseated and use nauseous for both something that will make you feel like vomiting and feeling like vomiting. Why? Laziness. And don’t get me started on turning every noun into a verb!

We’re losing language precision.

Maybe worry about your own typing and clunky grammar first.

Well you just admitted that you had no counter-argument and the PP was correct. Way to embarrass yourself! Next time just don’t respond.

No I didn't. I have no interest in arguing with an internet pedant, but I couldn't resist the urge to point out PP's apparent inability to operate a keyboard. Particularly in the context of a thread about the word "keyboarding."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, American English is absolutely getting “dumber” every day. Common usage puts the misused word in the dictionary and then we’re done. We’re losing key distinctions by accepting misuse.

Or languages always evolve. Ask a linguist.

Of course languages evolve to include more words and terms, not they laziness and misuse. Take nauseous/nauseated. We lost nauseated and use nauseous for both something that will make you feel like vomiting and feeling like vomiting. Why? Laziness. And don’t get me started on turning every noun into a verb!

We’re losing language precision.

Exactly. Why are we gifting things? What happened to giving gifts? And why are we sending invites for parties instead of sending invitations to invite sonmeone to a party?

Because people are stupid and lazy.

If you weren’t so lazy, you would look up that word and realize its usages include The Myths of Babylon and Assyria, a book published in 1915.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/gifting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, American English is absolutely getting “dumber” every day. Common usage puts the misused word in the dictionary and then we’re done. We’re losing key distinctions by accepting misuse.

Or languages always evolve. Ask a linguist.

Of course languages evolve to include more words and terms, not they laziness and misuse. Take nauseous/nauseated. We lost nauseated and use nauseous for both something that will make you feel like vomiting and feeling like vomiting. Why? Laziness. And don’t get me started on turning every noun into a verb!

We’re losing language precision.

Maybe worry about your own typing and clunky grammar first.

Well you just admitted that you had no counter-argument and the PP was correct. Way to embarrass yourself! Next time just don’t respond.

No I didn't. I have no interest in arguing with an internet pedant, but I couldn't resist the urge to point out PP's apparent inability to operate a keyboard. Particularly in the context of a thread about the word "keyboarding."

No, Dude. You resorted to “grammar policing” when you had no other defense. Give it up and stop embarrassing yourself more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This makes perfect sense because the skill is most useful on a keyboard rather than a typewriter. It was typing when people used typewriters, now it’s keyboarding for keyboards. Language changes, it’s not a sign of being dumbed down, but exemplifies how language adapts to be most useful to the people communicating with it.

Do you know that the keyboard of a typewriter is identical to the keyboard on a computer? And where the keys are located on a typewriter has always been called a keyboard.

I do know that. Had we called it keyboarding from the start, with a typewriter, that would have been fine. Switching to calling it keyboarding now that typewriters are largely nonexistent is also fine.