Main Article Content
Abstract
In the present scenario, language is fast losing its sheen and purity at the expense of mushrooming social media and globalisation. The latter has no doubt brought the world closer but it has infringed the purity of individual languages. In modern era, the spoken language has assumed a life of its own, rife with peculiar idiosyncrasies and unusual combinations. Propelled by the factors of relentless globalization and urbanisation, a new kind of language-mutant has surfaced in the English-speaking Indian demographic. The availability and knowledge of multiple languages is leading to rampant code-switching and code-mixing. The words and expressions from a regional language often bleed into the anatomy of English and vice versa. A major reason for the perilous position of contemporary language scenario is the fading glory of indigenous cultures and civilisation in the face of Western systems of dressing, eating, speaking and interacting. Also, in the contemporary times there is excessive use of various kinds of memes and emojis. This is leading to massive deterioration of the language narrative in general. Just as extensive use of artificial intelligence is taking posterity on the path of reduced cognitivity and alertness, similarly substitution of regular words in communication by memes, emoticons and cartoons is gnawing at the very roots of the language ability of humanity. Language is a kind of witchcraft, a science, an organic entity which has grown and evolved with its users. So the question arises: should this invasion on the language narrative be allowed to go unchecked or reined in before it assumes the shape of a hollow, philistine ‘language sham’?