Evolving language

[Tay]

I ordered a new MP3 player this weekend. I googled a question asking which would be best for Talking Books and was directed to an American review site which recomended a make of player that included a bookmarking facility. So I checked the company out and eventually after emailing them ordered one of their products.

But it also got me thinking about the word bookmark. We now use it in computer terms for the same purpose but of course without the same physical attachment. So I wondered about the future when actual books are very rare and therefore physical bookmarks unknown to most people. They will possibly continue to use the word bookmark but be unaware of the original product it signifies.

Then I moved onto sending emails and the cc and bcc facilities. Which stand for carbon copy and blind carbon copy. Well it won't be long before most people don't know the meaning of these two abreviations or what was meant by carbon copy and the process needed to produce one.

Lastly I thought of vinyl and the grooves therein. In todays MP3 world where music seems to magically exist in a 'machine' that has no moving parts it won't be long before the origins of the phrase 'in the groove' will be lost to most people.

Can anyone think of other words or terms we use today that will soon evolve into new or enhanced meanings?

[David]

I've popped this in the Language forum, Tay.

[momac]

I really hope that there will not be a time in my lifetime anyway when we don't have physical books. I tried out an e-reader and was unable to get the blessed thing started. The instructions came on a large leaflet, bigger than my monitor, and I had to wrestle with the paper and try to read the instructions. As it turned out my computer only had 1 of something instead of 2 whatevers so I couldn't install. By this time I was fed up of the whole thing and took the reader back. I like books with paper pages. Does anyone remember the film where all books were burned and it was punishable under the law to have a book? Can't remember the name of the film but it was pretty depressing. I can't think of any words which will lose their original meaning in the techie age but then I'm behind the times anyway - don't even twitter, tweet, facebook or blog. momac :)

[Tay]

Sorry David I should have thought of that.

[Tay]

I really hope that there will not be a time in my lifetime anyway when we don't have physical books. I tried out an e-reader and was unable to get the blessed thing started. The instructions came on a large leaflet, bigger than my monitor, and I had to wrestle with the paper and try to read the instructions. As it turned out my computer only had 1 of something instead of 2 whatevers so I couldn't install. By this time I was fed up of the whole thing and took the reader back. I like books with paper pages. Does anyone remember the film where all books were burned and it was punishable under the law to have a book? Can't remember the name of the film but it was pretty depressing. I can't think of any words which will lose their original meaning in the techie age but then I'm behind the times anyway - don't even twitter, tweet, facebook or blog. momac :)

Think the film you're thinking of is Farenheit 451, based on the novel by Ray Bradbury.

I agree with you about physical books but sales of e books are continuing to grow and think it'll only be a matter of time till physical books become the minority.

[blithe_spirit]

I can't think of any words which will lose their original meaning in the techie age but then I'm behind the times anyway - don't even twitter, tweet, facebook or blog. momac :)

The one that comes immediately to mind is the word 'twitter' itself. For much of my life friends have groaned loudly because of my tendency to twitter on but suddenly they seem to think it's quite cool that I twitter. :)