One of the great things about being in the start-up world now is the excitement around creating something new. All around me people are excited about what they are doing in a way that I haven’t seen since I was in finance at the height of the bubble. And though I’m wary since I’ve lived through a bubble burst, I share the optimism.
But I miss the things that are going out of style. Not in an ironic way, like some people cherish mustaches moustaches, but because I’m sad that some people won’t know the world the way I know it. It is possible to lose technology or language completely. No one knows how to make Damascus steel or speak Linear A anymore.
So this is a tribute to some of the words or concepts that are leaving the English language. All of these words have seen their usage reduced by more than half since their peak, as measured by the always entertaining Google N-Gram Viewer.
Old Technology
As computer word processors continue to kill off the typewriter, it’s no surprise that the word is used less and less.
But changes in physical technology aren’t the only thing that can become obsolete. There are less than 20 ‘true’ monarchies left in the world
Changing Tastes
Sometimes objects just gain negative connotations and fall out of style. Even if you still need them to make a good pie crust.
And Other Reasons
Sometimes it isn’t totally clear why words fall out of favor. I think of the words ‘peculiar’ and ‘remarkable’ as words from the 19th century. And they are. But I can’t think of why. Fortunately, both words seem to be making a comeback (thanks, Brooklyn!).
If you have any ideas that explain the peculiar paucity of the word peculiar, or the remarkable decline in the word remarkable, let me know.
