'Th' sound likely to vanish from Queen's English by 2066

Image
Press Trust of India London
Last Updated : Sep 29 2016 | 4:43 PM IST
'Th' sound will vanish completely from the English language in the next 50 years, according to linguists who predict that immigration and artificial intelligence systems may fundamentally alter the Queen's English by 2066.
Many foreigners struggle to pronounce interdental consonants - the term for a sound created by pushing the tongue against the upper teeth - such as 'th'.
The 'th' sound - also called the voiced dental nonsibliant fricative - is likely to change to be replaced an 'f', 'd', or 'v' meaning 'mother' will be pronounced 'muvver' and 'thick' will be voiced as 'fick'.
Within the next few decades immigration will have fundamentally altered the English language, according to experts at the University of York.
"Given the status of London as the linguistically most influential city in the English-speaking world, we can expect to see significant changes between now and the middle of the century," said Dominic Watt, a sociolinguistics expert from the University of York.
The report was produced from a study involving analysis of recordings from the last 50 years as well as social media language use, 'The Telegraph' reported.
Other changes likely to become widespread by 2066 include a habit known as 'yod dropping' in which the 'u' sound is replaced with an 'oo'. It means 'news' is pronounced 'nooze' and 'beauty' changes to 'booty'.
The 'l' at the end of words will be dropped so that the words 'Paul' and 'paw' will sound the same. Similiarly, 'text' will lose the final 't' to become 'tex'.
Technology will also change the way people speak, and the experts predict that as artificial intelligence emerges, computers could begin to invent new words.
"Already we're seeing text words phrases coming into respected dictionaries. As time goes on we're going to see more and more of that kind of thing," said Watt.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Sep 29 2016 | 4:43 PM IST

Next Story