It has been said that knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom.
Still, it is hard to feel terribly wise when using our modern-day language, so rife with slang from rizz to skibidi to drip.
While these terms may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.
“I don’t think you can possibly talk about language without slang being a part of it,” said Nicole Rosen, head of the University of Manitoba’s linguistics department.
“As long as there’s been language, there’s been slang.”
So what’s behind these dialectical developments?
Historical linguistics presents a few clues, Rosen said, showing how the meaning of different words can evolve or even switch completely.
“For example, in the ‘80s, it was gnarly. Gnarly actually is like gnarled wood, right? Or it’s a negative thing, but it could mean really good, too” she said.
“These different meanings coexist in language right at the same time …