Feb. 27, 2009 -- The oldest words in the English language include "I" and "who," while words like "dirty" could die out relatively quickly, U.K. researchers report. Scientists at the University of Reading have used a supercomputer called ThamesBlue to model the evolution of words in English and the wider family of Indo-European languages over the last 30,000 years. They say that the most commonly-used words, which also include the numbers "two," "three" and "five," tend to be the oldest and change most slowly over time. Meanwhile, adjectives like "dirty" and verbs like "squeeze" could disappear over the next eight centuries or so, the scientists said. "The frequency with which the words are used in our common everyday speech is a strong predictor of whether or not they will be retained and words we use a lot tend to be highly conserved," University of Reading's Mark Pagel told BBC radio. Related Content:
Because there are many different ways of saying "dirty" in Indo-European languages -- currently 46 -- it is more likely to die out, the team said, along with, for example, "push," "turn," "wipe" and "stab." The oldest words in circulation today have been in use for at least 10,000 years, the researchers added. As well as English, other languages in the Indo-European family include Hindi, Gujarati and Bengali. Australian linguists say the researchers have provided useful evidence that the most commonly used words are conserved the longest. Julia Miller of Flinders University in Adelaide said she is finding the same effect in her own studies of idioms. An idiom is an expression that means something other than what is stated literally. Many idioms used by older people -- such as "to spend a penny," meaning, "going to the toilet" -- don't tend to be used by younger people and are thus disappearing from the language. Peter Petersen of the University of Newcastle said English itself has only been around about 1200 years but equivalents to the words "who" and "I" would have occurred in predecessor languages. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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