'Oldest English words' identified

[UM-Bot]

Scientists have identified some of the oldest words in the English language, with some such as "I" and "we" dating back tens of thousands of years.

"Some of the oldest words in English have been identified, scientists say. Reading University researchers claim "I", "we", "two" and "three" are among the most ancient, dating back tens of thousands of years. Their computer model analyses the rate of change of words in English and the languages that share a common heritage. The team says it can predict which words are likely to become extinct - citing "squeeze", "guts", "stick" and "bad" as probable first casualties. "

View: Full Article | Source: BBC News

[raphnix]

So "we" is ten thousand year old word. I wonder if their computer estimated the number of times the word was used.

[Exterminator]

The team says it can predict which words are likely to become extinct - citing "squeeze", "guts", "stick" and "bad" as probable first casualties. "

The word 'bad' likely become extinct in future?... That's impossible... In fact we should get much more used to it as we are advancing in future!

[Ell]

some of the oldest words in the English language, with some such as "I" and "we" dating back tens of thousands of years.

The shortest words of course are the oldest words. DUH!

words ... likely to become extinct - citing "squeeze", "guts", "stick" and "bad" as probable first casualties.

That might be the consequence of no longer slaughtering one's own chickens. *sigh*

Nevertheless, I very much doubt that those specific one syllable words will disappear.

[Mac E]

The word 'bad' likely become extinct in future?... That's impossible... In fact we should get much more used to it as we are advancing in future!

I agree, bad is here to stay.

[Paracelse]

No wonder Barbara Bach and Ringo Starr were able to communicate in "Caveman".

[BaneSilvermoon]

I would assume the idea of words "going extinct" is based on synonyms taking over their turf. In which case, yeah I could see "bad" fading out of use.

[:PsYKoTiC:BeHAvIoR:]

That might be the consequence of no longer slaughtering one's own chickens. *sigh*

You might be a redneck if...

[CausticGnostic]

The article is wrong, or at least, wrongly expressed. English did not exist as a language thousands of years ago. Five centuries ago, Middle English, the precursor of Modern English was being used, and a thousand years ago, Old English was being used. Before that, we have no extant records of any form of English.

However, the article did point out, in passing, that the linguists in question were referring to earlier ancestral languages. Those would be so-called "proto-Germanic" and the even older "proto-Indo-European," both of which are theoretical reconstructions based on the principles of historical linguistic, which posits systematic and predictable changes in a language and, according to that postulate, lingiusts believe they can work backward to reconstruct an unrecorded language used in the past. Anybody interested in Indo-European linguistics would find J. P. Mallory's book "In Search of the Indo-Europeans" a fascinating read.