Dictionary of the Future

Last week, I noticed the term “jay-kay” as part of a teenager’s Facebook status update. After a moment I deciphered that she was spelling out J.K., or “just kidding.” I am certain that what she did was intentional and she knows the real abbreviation. But it got me thinking: Will her kids know? Do they need to?

I think we’re seeing the beginning of a tremendous change in our language. Abbreviation becoming words is not unprecedented. Centuries ago, and over generations, “God be with ye” was shortened to “goodbye.” It is a new word. Knowledge of its origins is not a prerequisite to use. Is it possible that in a decade or two, “jay-kay” will be defined as “not serious” even if the users do not know it’s origins? (It would be funny if in text messages they began to abbreviate “jay-kay” to jk.)

I can understand how language that is primarily oral/verbal would vary between generations. You would think that the more “written” a language is, the more stable it would be. Maybe that is true, but what we are seeing in this first decade of near universal access to “messaging” is the opposite. Language is changing rapidly to minimize keystrokes. In speaking, the difference in effort between saying “just kidding” and “j.k.” is nominal. But writing, “jk” is more than 80% more efficient than spelling it out.

So with the idea that texting abbreviations will work themselves back into spoken language, here are a few entries from the dictionary of the future:

Bee-ef-ef: The person who is (or thinks she is) your closest Platonic acquaintance. Usually transient.

Bee-ti-double-you: An expression meant to bridge conversation of unrelated topics

Aye-dee-kay: An expression to convey lack of knowledge or information about a question being asked

Tee-em-aye: That is too personal man

Tee-tee-why-el: A form of signing off

El-oh-el: Dude, that was funny

Gee-em-ti-eh: Hey, I just said that and I consider myself pretty intelligent and original

Are-oh-ef-el: I think I just wet myself