Weird Quirks of the English Language

By: Aditya Shukla, Cognition Today

The English language evolves rapidly because of its widespread use and microcosms of chatting trends.

Dictionary-based rules get bent because human behavior influences how we interpret meaning and grammar.

RAS syndrome

We make short-forms of words and use them as words. – DC Comics: Detective comics comics – SEO optimization: Search engine optimization optimization – RAS Syndrome: Redundant acronym syndrome syndrome

Mondegreen effect - misheard lyrics

We mishear lyrics and think they are correct because they still make sense, kinda. This happens because the “acoustic profile” of a word can closely match many other words. The brain accepts anything that makes sense.

Semantic drifts

Words change meaning over time. Slay: Originally meant killing a dragon, now means “doing amazingly well.” Lit: Being illuminated morphed into a metaphor for being “exciting” and “very cool.”

Iconicity - Sounds like the meaning

Some words in English are spelled based on the meaning of the word. -Boom, Shsshhh, Kaboom, Thud, Splash These words are "iconic" because their meaning matches their spelling.

Generecized Trademarks

Examples of an idea become so popular that the example (usually a branded word) becomes a concept. -Cola (dark aerated drink) -Xerox (photo-copying) -Taxi (car transport on hire)