LANGUAGE IN INDIA

A Study of Orthographic Features of Instant Messaging in Pakistan
An Empirical Study

Rana Faqir Muhammad Aslam, Ph.D. Scholar,
Ali Ahmad, Ph.D. Scholar and Muhammad Akbar Sajid, Ph.D. Scholar

Abstract

In the postmodern era, technology has affected almost all aspects of human life including language. Electronic Communication has brought about revolutionary changes in the sphere of human communication. This paper aims to discuss the findings of the study of orthographic features of language used by Pakistani students in Instant Messaging (IM), a synchronous form of electronic communication.

The data of IM have been collected from the students of Baha-ud-Din Zakariya University Multan. The data have been analysed making different categories of virtual spellings used by the participants. The analyses illustrate that the participants make excessive use of virtual spellings such as 'bz' for 'busy', 'wid' for 'with', 'u' for 'you,' etc. These new ways of communication have evolved quite rapidly and have caused the innovative orthographic features of English words. The paper concludes with the view that time will decide whether or not these orthographic changes become regular feature of English orthography.

Key words: orthographic features, electronic communication, instant messaging.

Introduction

Technology has affected almost all aspects of human life. Language has also been greatly influenced by rapid advancement in technology, especially the information technology. Computers have played a significant role in bringing about revolutionary changes in the sphere of human communication. Internet has become one of the major means of communication in this era. The speed and ease of electronic communication make it to be the most feasible media of communication. David Crystal asserts that internet language is a 'fourth medium' (after writing, speaking and signing) and opines that the rate of change in language is tremendous (Crystal, 2001). The use of the non-standard orthography is a useful resource in chatting.

Language has never been static and has continuously been changing over the years. It has never been handed down to the next generation unaltered, as each generation recreates the language of their predecessors (Coulmas, 2005). The changes in language are sometimes so unobservable that they pass unnoticed. Although the gradual changes in semantic, phonological and syntactic systems of a language are sometimes hard to notice, yet 'one glance at the works of Chaucer or Shakespeare shows how much English has changed in a relatively short time' (Aitchison, 2003, 160).

Language does not change by itself. Over the centuries, a number of factors like economy, analogy, language contact and some other social factors have caused changes in language. According to Holmes (1992) it is in fact the speakers and writers who change the way they use language. So it is basically speaker's innovations that cause language change. Coates (1993) argues that linguistic change occurs in the context of linguistic heterogeneity. She explains it in these words: "linguistic change can be said to have taken place when a new linguistic form, used by some sub-group within a speech community, is adopted by other members of that community and accepted as the norm" (ibid: 169).

In recent times, computer technology has become one of the major factors responsible for innovations in language. The Internet has shown drastic changes in language used in e-mails, chatting and instant messaging (IM).

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