Slipping into Newspeak

Slipping into Newspeak Slipping into Newspeak Slipping into Newspeak By Maeve Maddox One of the scariest things Ive read lately is this comment in a language forum: America is based on the tradition of divergent thinking There was a time when nuances were important; larger vocabularies were needed.   These vocabularies will soon be superfluous as we move into an age where communications are devised and sent in the most efficient manner available.  (Emphasis added.) Anyone who has read George Orwells 1984 will hear in this comment an echo of the character Symes conversation with Winston about the shrinking size of the Newspeak dictionary: Were getting the language into its final shape Were destroying words scores of them, hundreds of them, every day. Were cutting the language down to the bone. The Eleventh Edition [of the Newspeak dictionary] wont contain a single word that will become obsolete before the year 2050. Rules of grammar that contribute to precision of thought are already breaking down. Nuances that used to be observed in newspaper writing are disappearing, for example, such pairs as smell/fragrance, peal/toll, famous/notorious: Wedding Bells are Tolling Less in Milwaukee Stories about historys most famous murders at the Crime Library Such a Tiny Flower But What a Beautiful Smell The character Symes explains to Winston that paring English to the bare bones of communication is in the public interest: Dont you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. Every concept that can ever be needed, will be expressed by exactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined and all its subsidiary meanings rubbed out and forgotten. In Orwells novel, the emasculation of the language is undertaken by the government as a means of controlling and extinguishing dissident thought. In reality, thanks to the neglect of language instruction in the public schools, over-simplified writing in the media, and the popular attitude that standard English is elitist and undemocratic, government intervention has not been necessary. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Types and Forms of Humor5 Lessons for Mixing Past and Present TenseCharles's Pen and Jesus' Name