Every language changes over the decades. There are new words and old words gets different meanings and others get old-fashioned. That's how languages works and that's great.
I really like how peopled talked 100 years ago or even earlier, but honestly, I'm glad that I don't have to talk like that!
I'm sure you know which words are old-fashioned in English and you know which words are now used in different ways and mean something different.
I'm familiar with "old" language as well...but only in German...
I'm reading "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett at the moment. First published in 1911.
I haven't finished it yet, but I want to tell you two things that happened while reading the first pages of the book.
1. In the middle of the first page you can read this sentence: "...her mother had been a great beauty who cared only to go to parties and amuse herself with gay people."
Guess which word made me stunned. Yes, it's the word "gay".
I only knew this word as a word for homosexual people, so I was quite surprised to read this word in a book published in 1911. And I thought "why does a woman want to hang out with gay people"?
I had no dictionary with me, so I decided that the author had some strange ideas and I continued reading.
I checked the word "gay" later and found out, that it is not only a word for homosexual people, but also for cheerful people who love fun.
Well...I think that's what the author wanted to say... ;)
My question: Do you still use the word "gay" for cheerful people? I've never heard it before...
2. The word queer.
I knew what the word queer means. It means something like strange or weird. But again it is also a word often associated with homosexuals. And that's why I know the word. Every time I read the word "queer" I automatically think the word "homosexual" the same time. It's a bit annoying, but what shall I do? Most of the time (and that isn't very often) I hear or read the word queer it HAS to do something with homosexuals.
In "The Secret Garden" the word queer appears in nearly every paragraph (the author was amazingly creative... *cough*). It's the most used word in the book. She used it for everything. Women in queer grand costumes, a queer morning, a queer place etc.
I don't want to see this word anymore!!! ;)
I wanted to share this with you, because I would like to know how often and in what way these two words are nowadays used and I wanted to show you the difficulties you come across when you read and use a foreign languages.
Have a wonderful, lovely weekend! :)
