Our Changing Language
Before computers were invented, the words byte and modem did not exist, and a mouse was something that made some people scream and run away. Words are added to language everyday, but not only aw new things are invented. Changes in society also cause changes in language. For example, today the people of the former Soviet Union words like free market and capitalism.
Changes in attitude also affect language. As people become more sensitive to the rights and needs of individuals, it becomes necessary to change the words we use to describe them. The elderly are now called senior citizens. The handicapped are described as physically challenged. New words show an awareness in today’s society that differences are good and that everyone deserves respect. Even the names of certain jobs have changed so that workers can be proud of what they do. The trashman is now called a sanitation worker, a doorman is an attendant, and a janitor is a custodian.