Like seriously, where is the language?

By Robert Lalah

Language is a funny thing, isn't it? You could be living in the same country with people who technically speak the same language as you do, and still have absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

When was the last time you tried talking with a teenager? I recently did, and will readily admit that it proved a most befuddling endeavour. I'm pretty sure we started out chatting about the Olympics, but with all the talk of shelling, slapping things away, and turning other things up, I'm not convinced that we didn't at some point switch to a different matter entirely. I'm still trying to figure it out.

There are so many subtle changes that take place with language over time, with each generation adding its own touches. Sometimes these changes live on and become part of the official lexicon. Sometimes they don't. What I find fascinating is how quickly these changes can occur.

Just a few years ago, using the word 'like' to start a sentence was the modus operandi of California surfer dudes (Like, these waves are totally righteous) and nobody else. Now everyone's doing it, so if you find it irritating, well, like, too bad.

Last December, a poll conducted in the United States revealed that for the third year in a row, people thought 'whatever' was the most annoying and overused word in the English language. Thirty-eight per cent of respondents said it was used too often in casual conversation. Another 20 per cent of those polled said they were not at all fond of the word 'like', while 19 per cent said they couldn't stand the phrase, 'you know'. Eleven per cent said 'just saying' was their least favourite phrase, and seven per cent were serious about their contempt for the word 'seriously'.

I don't know if any such poll has ever been conducted in Jamaica, but it's interesting how the words that are hackneyed in the US are used to death here as well.

'Like' and 'seriously' are the new 'is' and 'are' of Jamaican talk. It's a rare sentence that has neither word, and the more vexing ones feature both in a kind of two-pronged assault on the senses (The party was so boring, like seriously).

There are other changes too, like the way 'text' language is starting to creep into everyday speech.

Remember when OMG (Oh my gosh) and LOL (laugh out loud) were reserved for Internet chatrooms and text messages? Now they're common fillers of face-to-face conversations (OMG, I cannot believe it!). It doesn't stop there, either.

Adjustment

I once overheard a woman say SMH (shake my head) to a man who was trying desperately to convince her to stop and have a chat with him. And TMI (too much information) has been a conversation staple for some time now. It won't be long before these terms are included in the dictionary. That is, of course, if they haven't already been added.

Making the adjustment to this new way of talking hasn't been easy for me. Don't get me wrong. I'm as hip as the next guy. I can dig a good slang. And it's not like this kind of thing is new anyway. It's been years since 'bad' meant anything but great, and 'wicked' was a trait to be avoided.

It just seems to be getting more difficult to keep up. I sometimes wonder if this means language is undergoing these changes faster than ever. You know, because of our growing reliance on cellphones, tablets and so on.

The more frightening possibility is that I'm getting old and can no longer hang with the young folk; that I'm no more a groovy cat who's down with the cause. But come on, let's not be silly here. I mean, who would believe that? Like, seriously.

Robert Lalah is assistant editor - features, and author of the popular 'Roving with Lalah'. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com.