Why Words Die?
by Angel Bansal
English is a globally dispersed language with more dialects, tones, and mannerisms than there are countries in the world. Old English originated around the 5th to 7th centuries AD. Since then, it has undergone many changes.
As time passed and humanity developed, English changed and evolved. The loss of old words and the creation of new ones reflect the ongoing transformation of the language.
Development is usually good; it helps people learn from their mistakes, invent things, and make their lives easier. However, as unlikely as it sounds, development can also be backwards, as in the case of English.
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English was initially a language rich in emotion, depth, and intensity, but over time, it slowly died. Its beautiful words became rare, and it became the easy language that it is today.
There are several factors for the withering of English- Natural Evolution, Cultural Shifts, Colonialism- which caused it to change slowly over time, but there are factors such as utility, speed and education which degraded it a little faster. As technology improved, things went out of fashion. Obsolete objects equal obsolete words. The social practices that aren’t in practice anymore lead to their vocabulary being dead, like the gramophone, for instance. The world is moving very fast- people don’t seem to have any time, so they want fast, low-friction communication. Words get shorter, emojis win. If a word takes effort to type, pronounce, or explain, it starts to lose its essence. Language is supposed to make talking easier, so it’s not laziness; it’s survival and efficiency.
Let’s take the word “Weltschmerz” for example. The book definition of this word translates to “a deep, romanticized melancholy or world-weariness caused by the realization that physical reality cannot satisfy the mind’s ideal, often brought on by observing the world’s inherent evils, injustices, and imperfections” [1]. In simple words, it’s described as a feeling of melancholy and world weariness. It is made of “welt” meaning world and “schmerz” meaning pain which refers to the feeling of sadness and hope about the state of the world. The word was coined by the German Romantic Author Jean Paul in 1827 novel “Selina”.
There are several reasons for the word going extinct. It is intellectually demanding as you have to notice history, understand systems, and compare reality with possibility. That requires effort, and words aren’t traditionally supposed to. It required people to question their morals- if the word had survived, they would have to live with the fact that the world should be a better place. Today’s world makes you expect less and be “realistic” while ignoring real-world problems. It is a difficult word to use- hard to pronounce, slow to write, and difficult to understand the essence of. Language required speed- the usage of this word prevented that. Words which are easier to use- “burnout”, “anxiety” took over, and instead of the world being unwell, instead of the world being wrong, it was you who was the problem because that’s what today’s education teaches us- the world is only bad if you look at it that way, you need to change your mindset.
To save weltschmerz, I put it to use. I wrote an essay about why the word shouldn’t die. I sent a Word of the Day suggestion to the Daily Newspapers. I wrote to my teacher about why we should use it. Instead of using common language, I used this word.
If there’s one thing that is actually necessary in today’s world, it is weltschmerz. Even if the word goes out of use, it is necessary to feel what the word means because only if you’re uncomfortable with something do you change it. No one wants to question something that isn’t harming them, but they should. Questioning why the world is deteriorating is necessary. If no one questions, no change happens. There will always be people who argue against the relevance of difficult words when simpler alternatives exist, but the simpler words lack the depth and precision we need — and that is exactly why Weltschmerz should live.
