I have received quite a few text messages which left my fumbling around trying to figure out why I couldn't answer my phone. Most have been commercial messages. My son tried a few times and gave up "texting" to me since I never answered them.

"Text, texting, texted, as words are getting re-defined by common usage. Until recently, texted and texting were not words in any language.

 

Yeah, wrong century. My English teacher (about 27 years ago) had a recording of someone speaking old English. This is what I was tinking of:


a [] prep w.a. to, for; ~ worulda woruld to an age of ages
á [ä] <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:cs:smarttags" /><st1:NumConv6p0 val="1" sch="1" w:st="on">1</st1:NumConv6p0>. adv always, ever, at all, continuously, for ever; ~ on écnisse, ~ butan ende world without end; at any time; in any degree; <st1:NumConv6p0 val="2" sch="1" w:st="on">2</st1:NumConv6p0>. see ǽ
á- [ä-] verb prefix <st1:NumConv6p0 val="1" sch="1" w:st="on">1</st1:NumConv6p0>. forth, away; <st1:NumConv6p0 val="2" sch="1" w:st="on">2</st1:NumConv6p0>. see on-; <st1:NumConv6p0 val="3" sch="1" w:st="on">3</st1:NumConv6p0>. see ymb-; <st1:NumConv6p0 val="4" sch="1" w:st="on">4</st1:NumConv6p0>. makes pronouns and participles indefinite; <st1:NumConv6p0 val="5" sch="1" w:st="on">5</st1:NumConv6p0>. see ǽ-
áá see á
Aaron [] m (-es/-as) Aaron, brother of Moses
áǽlan see onǽlan
áǽðan see áíðan
áb see óweb
ábacan [ä•bäc•än] sv/t<st1:NumConv6p0 val="6" sch="1" w:st="on">6</st1:NumConv6p0> 3<SUP>rd</SUP> pres ábæcþ past ábóc/on ptp ábacen to bake
ábád [] adj expected, waited
abal see afol
ábannan [] sv/t7 3<SUP>rd</SUP> pres ábenð past ábéonn/on ptp ábannen 1. to command, order, summon, convoke; 2. to announce, publish, proclaim; ~ út to order out, call out, call forth, call together, congregate, assemble
ábarian [ä•bär•yän] wv/t<st1:NumConv6p0 val="1" sch="1" w:st="on">1</st1:NumConv6p0>a 3<SUP>rd</SUP> pres ábareþ past ábarede ptp ábared to lay bare, make bare, manifest, disclose, discover; gif þu ábarest úre sprǽce if you disclose our conversation;
abbad see abbod<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
Abban dún see Æbban dún
ábǽd [] adj asked
ábǽdan [ä•bād•än] wv/t<st1:NumConv6p0 val="1" sch="1" w:st="on">1</st1:NumConv6p0>b 3<SUP>rd</SUP> pres ábǽdeþ past ábǽdde ptp ábǽded to compel, restrain, repel, ward off; exact, take toll; to force out, extract
ábǽligan [] wv/t2 3<SUP>rd</SUP> pres ábǽlaþ past ábǽlode ptp ábǽlod to offend, make angry
ábæligan see ábylgan
ábǽran [ä•bār•ôn] wv/t<st1:NumConv6p0 val="1" sch="1" w:st="on">1</st1:NumConv6p0>b to disclose, bring to light
ábære see ǽbære
ábærnan see onbærnan

It's an entirely different language that developed into what we speak today- and of course, what we speak today wil be different in another 1000 years or so as well. I'm hoping the Lady Fitzgerald can spring a few sentences on us.

Here's a bit of Middle English written by Chaucer:

 

Texting is not necessarily being lazy. Sometimes you just don't want to talk to someone (OK maybe this is me being anti-social) and it is a lot easier to just ask a yes or no question in a text then to call (especially if a female is involved although I still have yet to get a simple yes or no reply back ) It is a lot faster than a phone call too and when you have friends all over the country it nice to send a a text saying hi with out having to worry about what time it is. That is the other thing too if it is something that can wait send a text then the person can answer it at their leisure.

I'm in my early 30's so I am sure a lot of folk on here will tell me I am wet behind the ears still. Couple days ago my boss was telling me he started on the job in 1976 I must have smirked or something because he said what I just said "I wasn't even born yet" at least I realize there is lots to learn from people who have been working longer than I have been alive. Mine is the last generation that grew up with out cell phones, internet, laptops, digital cameras.

 

I get that smirk all the time from the younger Air Force troops...or sometimes they come out and say "you're as old as my parents".

My response that usually shuts them up is "what's your Mom's name, I might have dated her" or sometimes I am not that nice - but they get the point.

Texting is definitely a generational thing but I tell everyone the same thing - send me a text if you want and I will answer you with a text but anything beyond one text each requires a phone call.

 

Excellent point!

 

Lots of 'pro' arguments that make some sense.

Maybe it is an eyesight thing, if you need reading glasses it just does not work for you very well.

 

 

No one EVER texts my cell phone anymore...........after a couple of indecipherable, gibberish, messages, I call them and tell them.............."If you wish to speak to me, CALL me and use real English!".........some of the crap I have seen used as a text looks similar to secret code from a spy novel.

 

And what doth it be that thou art curious?

Yea, verily, Word doth lack the ability to know from their and there, but that doth be not the use I do demand from Word. I need Word for but the one word for which I question me spelling, not the entire passage.

 

How now? Methinks the speche of the illigitimate bitch whelp of the prostitute of Henry hath frightened the curious. (Italics indicate substitutions to bypass the site's censors)