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Fathoming the new age lexicon

Hindustan Times Chandigarh

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April 20, 2025

Hark, the newest era changeth everything! The point being that inexorable modifications are taking place in the way humanity lives, works, thrives and survives.

- Vivek Atray

Hark, the newest era changeth everything! The point being that inexorable modifications are taking place in the way humanity lives, works, thrives and survives. And one of the most noticeable mutations in our existence is the manner in which we speak and write. Sentences like the first one above are in any case vestiges of the past.

The problem is that any sentence which possesses structure, grammar and correctness in the old-world sense, might soon be of historic vintage as well!

The usage, while texting, of convenient abbreviations, unrecognisable alterations and myriad emojis is now a rule, rather than an exception. But even more fundamental in scope are the new age avatars of words that we thought we knew well.

‘Concerning’ for instance, used to refer to the linkage with something or someone. Today the unrelated word ‘concern’ which was hitherto used in sentences like ‘his health was a matter of concern’, is actually being used in phrases like ‘the situation was concerning’ by which someone is trying to indicate that it was a worrying issue.

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