Languages that don’t change over time are considered dead languages. The fact that English changes so much, shows that it is alive and well. Because English has changed over time, speakers of 1500 AD would not have understood an English speaker from 500 AD or the modern day English spoken today. The first written English dates back to 450 AD. Over time it has evolved from the use of “Old English,” to “Middle English,” “Early Modern English,” to present day “Modern English.” These changes are a direct reflection of the era in which the English was spoken and the modern day technology available. The simple expression “Dude,” in 1880, described a man who went slightly overboard with his fashion. And today, the expression has become part of the teenage vocabulary as a way to show excitement. Times they are a changing, and the English language will continue to do so as well.
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