Titor's language

C

Cherno

Temporal Novice
Titor\'s language

As an former-English Language student I am aware of how the English language has changed over the years. In fact, many professors believe that our language is evolving at it's quickest rate right now. Our words are being shortened i.e. 'dis', 'dat' and 'wat', especially in America. We use plenty of words now which would have been alien to people living in the 70's. Just listen to your grandad speak and i'm sure you'll notice one or two words that just don't belong any more in this time period. (my grandad uses the words 'lousy' and 'pals' occasionally; i don't think I've heard any of my friends use those words ever). So, surely within 30 years some of the words we use now would have become outdated and newer words would have emerged. I'm not suggesting that our language would be entirely different but there would be several subtle changes. Titor's language seem too 2000'ish to me. He doesn't use words alien to us either in general or in a certain context. He seems to speak exactly like you or me when you'd expect someone from 2036's language to have developed to some extent. Yet another hole in the Titor story.
 
Re: Titor\'s language

I was asked to provide some quotes, here they are:

Kirk to Scotty;Scotty, can you give me weapons, phasers or torpedoes"?

Scotty;"No captain, I had jury rigged her. I was not expecting to take her into battle"!?

Mc Coy to Kirk;He's for the northern part of India,..a siek tribesmen I think?

A product of late twentieth century genetics engineering.

I guess that he could lift us both off the floor, by using one hand only......?

>From our departure from Vulcan prime, we went back to take what was coming to us.

The condition of our party, was one of being ragged tagged.

We were vagabonds, who were also considered as outlaws.

Our dress, demeanors showed this.

In what we could gather, as our courage drove us towards Earth, the value of friendships, is very much on my mind.

Would it have been me, James Kirk, who was held as something of a newborn prisoner on the Genesis planet, Know, I somehow know, that my closest friend, Spock, would have always come back for me.

This is the cherished part of friendships, the coming back for, or the returning, as you care for someone, besides yourself.

I don't know as captain of this space vessel what is in-store for us, when we report back, but as a crew and yes as friends, we will all face this together.

>O'Hurha at the com panel>Captain.......!!?Im, picking up a lot of communications.

They are almost a frantic gibberish, not making much sense at all.

>Captain Kirk to Spock;Spock, start making calculations for warped time travel.

>Spock'... you're half human. Don't you have any damned feelings for what's going on here?.......The future of Earth?
 
Re: Titor\'s language

Cherno,

Good thoughts.

I pointed this out to Boomer while he was posting. I even ran some linguistic stats on his posts. The results of the stats were a part of why I nicknamed him (Baby) Boomer.

His usage of American English was absolutely in line with a contemporary American who was born in America circa the mid 1950's/1960's.

He wasn't impressed.
 
Re: Titor\'s language

Daniel,

Bones: Damn it, Spock, I'm not a machine. I'm just a country doctor.

Senator Sam Irvin: I'm just a country lawyer. (during the Senate inquiry into the Watergate affair)
 
Re: Titor\'s language

I guess maybe language development was deterred by the war and promoted the use of formal english instead of 'short words' or slangs we use everyday. Besides not everybody would speak the same way as anyone does. Whatever choice of words or slang he used, it doesn't sound what we would speak like today. I'm a non-believer but I'm just providing a choice of ideas about this topic.
 
Re: Titor\'s language

NickNack,

A war wouldn't deter linguistic development - it would drive it. Language usage changes are driven by changes in the society, fads, major events, music, the arts, literature, etc.

Take a look at the common use of English slang in America pre- peri- and post-WW II. The Varsity War introduced major changes to American English. Japanese words entered the language from the Occupation Forces as they returned home (just a skosh, for instance, which comes from "skoski" - little).

The Vietnam War did the same by introducing both military jargon and Vietnamese words into common usage. (Check that for head space; Let's di ti out of here; unass my AO; put it on rock-and-roll).

The same would be expected to occur with Titor. He would use common slang for which we would have no historical reference with which to relate it.

Instead, however, he used very common slang like "road kill." That's a slang term that would be used by a society that drives cars - not bicycles.
 
Re: Titor\'s language

John Titor would not only use new words, but he would avoid certain
words that are common vernacular today.

In fact, John Titor did not use any words peculiar to 2036,
and his speech patterns were similar to a person from the 1980's
hence the nickname "Boomer".

Bayesian classification systems can help determine the authorship of certain works
as well as what geographical area the author was from, and from what time period.


John Titor reminded me more of a retired college prof, than a prankish teenager.

Titor used speech patterns that were pop in 1980 and not in 2000.

For example, some words like "dame" that where once considered polite speech
are now considered derogatory, sexist, and insulting.

John Titor refers to "men" on his fighting squad. This is pop in 1980, but now
it is considered dated sexist usage.

With sophisticated bayesian word filters you can find that certain
word trigrams that are very common in one era become less so
later on.

Imagine a person from the deep south that used the "N" word in 1955
being transported 36 years to 1991 and still using that word.

For example, in the future certain words are not used. The word - Nordic is
considered offensive and disparaging. The new prefered term is "Arctic American".


Needless to say, language continues to evolve.
 
Re: Titor\'s language

Instead, however, he used very common slang like "road kill." That's a slang term that would be used by a society that drives cars - not bicycles.
Click to expand...

I've had 2 road kills on a bicycle. Squirrels like to try to run through the tires and get caught in the spokes.
 
Re: Titor\'s language

to start with, assuming that language would evolve simply because it always has is facetious reasoning. who is to say what will happen between now and then with regards to one's vernacular? odds are, it will; however, going by odds alone is just a guess.

another thing to consider, who is to say that titor was not simply conforming to the vernacular of the day? correct me if i am wrong with the story, but all that is known is that titor supposedly arrived in 2000 and started posting in november. there is a possibility that he may have picked up on the particulars of today's language before posting.

also, titor was supposedly a history expert, wasn't he?
 
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