Articles and Stories

November 7, 2011

A huge billboard next to one of the major interstates in Atlanta displays this:

Not correct English, but one can easily read and understand it it. Everybody knows that you cannot properly concentrate on the road when you text while driving. But I want to reflect on texting and what it has done to our language. ‘RSVP’, ‘asap’ and ‘info’ were used before anybody even knew what texting was, even before anybody had a cell phone. Was that the start of texting?

The word ‘text’ has turned into a verb; texting has become almost like a new language you have to learn in order to keep up with the abbreviations and to be able to understand a message. It has become so popular that even TV reality shows ask you to text your vote and news programs conduct surveys by advertising their text numbers. Like group emails, group texting is now also possible and reaches everybody at once. I very often have to think twice before I understand the meaning of a text.

I checked how texting has caught on with other countries and in other languages and see that everybody seems to be doing it. Many of the countries have adopted English abbreviations when texting and added a few of their own to it. The letters ‘u’ for ‘you’ and ‘r’ for ‘are’ are one of the common text words used in other languages as well.

Emoticons are also used internationally. There are websites that show various faces by using keys from the keyboard and give the interpretation of what each of them means. I have found them in various languages but most of them give the English explanation and then the translation into the language of the site.

Here are a few examples of emoticons for texting:

And here a few abbreviations commonly used in texting throughout the various countries:

Computer programs have replaced writing letters, now we use email. A few years ago, calling somebody on the phone was expensive, now there are many plans with unlimited minutes so that it does not cost anything when you pick up the phone and call somebody. Or, to quickly leave a message or a reminder, just text a few abbreviated words.

What will happen to our language? Will we continue the texting trend and write abbreviated words and sentences? What will happen if we have to translate such text messages? Do we translate them with similar abbreviations into another language?