This quickie generation

My undergraduate brother had sent me this text message sometimes back. The text was a follow-on to our earlier conversation. After staring at this text in annoyance, I called him to caution him. I warned him sternly that only useful abbreviations were permitted if we were to continue text conversations. I could tell from his response that he didn’t understand what the fuss was about? I think that worried me even more. I couldn’t wait to reach home that day, I was sure face-to-face discussion will help drive home my point.

As soon as I got home, I quickly asked him in what language he wrote his school work, and he replied in English. I told him I wasn’t convinced that he could effectively make the translation to ‘real English’ from the native dialect he had earlier sent me. Why, I wondered, couldn’t he just write in simple English?, why couldn’t he just say it as it is – if he could dedicate seven letters to the word ‘sumtins, why not just add two more and get the real deal said -‘something is.’

It appears this language is widespread. I find my 15 and 12 years old nephews are also guilty; I find they have all gone way beyond the standard permissible abbreviations like ‘ve for have, or couldn’t for could not, undergrad for undergraduate. Now, when I ‘meet’ them at instant messenger chats, I find they have their own fully fledged lingo. I’m discussing ‘bskits for biscuits, thing for tin, tx for thanks, Gudmon for good morning, d for the. I worry they will find a way to abbreviate the word it – if it were possible. I wondered what that would be… ET.

I am not dated. I do use abbreviations myself, only I make sure, one doesn’t need an oracle to translate my abbreviations. I make sure they are as close enough to the actual English words I am trying to say. Even better, I make sure that my audience wouldn’t get a headache when I use it. I think also what worries me when the really young ones use it, is if indeed they can make the switch back to normal English when they need to write.

Well I can make a switch from brilliant pidgin to brilliant English, from slangs to good English – but can they really? I have sat in interviews and heard a youngster say to us, ‘and stuff like that’ in trying to explain something. In my opinion, the standard instant messenger abbreviations are acceptable, seeing as they are what they are abbreviations, (not word murder). Brb, lol, smh, lwkmd (this I quite like)… er as for kk, I have no idea how ok, cool, infers kk?.

Honestly, I’d much rather write in Pidgin English! Since, I told my friend how much I didn’t understand why anyone should replace ok cool with kk, when they are both two letter words. She has made certain to inject that in our instant messenger exchanges.

I mustn’t sit here and take up my entire nose at my brother and his many mates, I have indulged in abbreviations myself but not in their words. I recall sending a text message to my former boss. I had written to him saying ‘oga L, we’re done, the pple‘ve picked up the docs. C u later. thx.

Prompt came the voice call; ‘I presume, you are trying to speak in English,’ please write in full next time! I of course laughed loud, just imagining how shocked he’d be, if he had to read from my brother and his group.

When I move to non-self respecting habits like visiting my brother’s Facebook wall, I can vow, it’s Latin I see there… even the basic Bro and Sis, have been long since converted, I see conversations like ‘Bruv, a dude’s hollang @ ya.’ Ow d go? al kill, ya guys chln @ma sistas’… they are not bereft of writing space, so I fail to understand this.

One wonders how this habit that appears to have come to stay developed. From laziness, or just constantly being in a hurry or?, I am not alone in my wonder.

Latest research suggests that what was once a passing fad may be evolving into a genuine dialect, dubbed ‘multi-ethnic youth vernacular,’ with its own vocabulary, accent and intonation. This new form of English, heavily influenced by Black and Asian speech, may actually displace what used to be known as the Queen’s English. This is according to Tony Thorne of King’s College London, who has written papers on youth culture and its slangs. Tells us the slang of pre-teens, teenagers, students and young adults use all the techniques of the world’s most influential language in a riot of creative exuberance. Their codes are used to create in-groups and to keep out the too-old and the terminally un-cool, but also just to celebrate being young, gifted – and slack.

I’m not sure which grade my brother and his friends would classify me in, but I still stand my grounds that they are better off writing in Ishan, Ibo, Yoruba or Hausa languages than in these annoying abbreviations!

merrykiks@yahoo.co.uk