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Technology and Change

There are 2 main ways in which technology affects language change:
1.
By necessitating new words (or shifts in meaning) to label new technology - mouse, tumble dryer, WAP
2.
By bringing about changes in the way people use language - LOL, google as a verb, the now-standard form of instruction manuals and set-up guides

Both of these contribute new words and semantic shifts.  Come up with your own examples as a revision exercise, and check out the e-varieties page for more ideas.

Remember to think about technology in relation to older texts as well - particularly how texts were produced and the way that interlinks with standardisation.  Handwritten, passed-on texts can obviously afford to be more individual and ‘quirky’ than mass-produced ones.