Machinery and English Style (1904)
3 months ago
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- Rhetorical forms have historically been influenced by writing materials and implements.
- Modern devices like the typewriter, shorthand, and telegraph significantly impact English style.
- Shorthand systems, such as the Phillips Code, standardize abbreviations and influence writing efficiency.
- Telegraphy encourages the use of longer words for accuracy and economy, affecting vocabulary choices.
- Punctuation in telegraphic communication is simplified, leading to more direct and abrupt sentence structures.
- The typewriter promotes dictation, leading to more verbose and less precise writing styles.
- Newspaper headlines revive archaic words and phrases due to space constraints.
- Mechanical devices subtly shape language evolution, influencing both vocabulary and syntax.