There was one interesting point on the development and history of language that I want to point out and reflect upon. From “He speaks in Your Voice,” I was interested in the point that “language cannot be sold,” and in the same paragraph he says that words are like fashions; each individual’s language chooses its words to represent its own style. Right after that he says, “Language is up for sale.”
Just based off of my own personal experience, I have to disagree that you can’t sell a language. The world is run by marketing and capitalistic, monetary gains. It’s ALL about the language. As he says, words are like fashions. In cultures where image is the most important, where brand names get all of the attention because they reflect status and class, language is key in determining what belongs to what class.
A popular kid in school can make up a word and have it spread like wildfire. On top of that, internet users have an insurmountable ability to change language. “Blog,” “tweet,” “Lol,” and many other words have become a normal part of speech. There is a fight against allowing abbreviations like “lol” to become a part of spoken language, however, many young children who have grown up with texting don’t think twice about it. At the very least, many people do use abbreviations just to be funny. Just using the words is a form of selling them. It may catch on and be produced mass market, or it could fall under paving way to the next big phrase.
I have seen it happen many times where one day a phrase is in and the next it’s out. This is where I agree that language is like fashion. People do use language to show their identity and their culture. The pronunciation, the words they use, and the way they construct sentences is all indicative of where the person came from. For instance southernisms are much different from northernisms.
But even though language reflects culture, it is always adapting to the world around it. This is why language can be sold; the best words are like the top brands in fashion. One day a certain type of purse is “in”, but as soon as the fashion gods say that it’s “out” people are moving on to bigger and better things. It’s the same with word choice and phrasing, although it does not need to move as quickly as fashion does.
So, I end up agreeing with his final points that language can be sold. In fact, I’m selling you my language right now, and if you agree with me, then you bought what I have offered.
jessicalynnrichardson 