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The English language in decline?

By Jocelynne Scutt - posted Friday, 14 December 2012


Apart from wondering why the writer would assume a recipient's compliance with a message so lacking in basic proofreading (or even the use of Spellcheck), surely if one's mailbox has exceeded its quota, then no further messages should be received. Shouldn't this one, like any other, 'bounce'? Would anyone send given name, family name and date of birth, much less password, in response?

So, back to language. Today it's almost always 'bored of' rather than 'bored with' (the former a horrible collocation of words!). Yet, its use so frequent now, 'bored of' well may become optional, just as 'different to' is apparently 'acceptable' today, when 'different from' is (at least was) correct.

And, finally – for the moment, anyway, what of 'gunna'. This appears to have replaced 'going to' or the better expression 'intending to' or, simply, 'will'. 'Gunna' (as in 'I'm gunna', 'we're gunna') finds its place in speeches delivered from national stages so often that, sooner or later, surely it will turn up in our dictionaries.

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Similarly, instead of 'us' (short 's') we are now assailed with 'uzzzzz'.

Still, at least some people continue to say 'Australia' instead of the too often (mis)pronounced 'Ostray-ya'.

Let's hope we might continue living in former rather than the latter. At least in my lifetime.

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About the Author

Dr Jocelynne A. Scutt is a Barrister and Human Rights Lawyer in Mellbourne and Sydney. Her web site is here. She is also chair of Women Worldwide Advancing Freedom and Dignity.

She is also Visiting Fellow, Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge.

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All articles by Jocelynne Scutt

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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