The word "Bae"

[thalassa]

Re: The word "Bae"

Was that due to isolation?

From what I understand Icelandic is one of the most conservative examples of language evolution (as is language the Faroe Islands, German among Mennonite communitites, among others). Also, the pronunciation of the spoken language has changed quite a bit, even though the written language has remained relatively stable (which

The rate of change has historically been much slower than for other languages. The reasons for Icelandic being slow to change seems to be a relative lack of immigration, a relatively low number of speakers, lack of contact with other languages, stability of lifestyle, a high rate of literacy and a cultural emphasis on reading and reciting (the practice of kvoldvaka), a high rate of internal mobility (no truly isolated populations), late urbanization, and a more recent tradition of "purifying" the language and of "language councils" (which have government support) which have two roles---preserving the existing language, but also updating it for new technology and replacing loanwords. So change in the Icelandic language (which does occur) comes from the (often planned) recycling of old words for neologisms and for the replacement loanwords, while stability is enforced from the repression of borrowing and natural changes.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: The word "Bae"

With perhaps the exception of Icelandic. If I remember correctly, I had read something that stated that it hasn't really changed for over 2000 years.

Was that due to isolation?

[Munin-Hugin]

Re: The word "Bae"

Language is ever evolving and fluid, bae.

With perhaps the exception of Icelandic. If I remember correctly, I had read something that stated that it hasn't really changed for over 2000 years.

[ThePaganMafia]

Re: The word "Bae"

Language is ever evolving and fluid, bae.

[Kviskrar]

Re: The word "Bae"

Heh, "just a word"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij1pZvv9m0g

Words have power, and music, and importance. Language is the breath of the Gods!

"Beau" actually makes sense. It means 'beautiful' in french and was used in english for one's crush, I believe. However 'bae' is just silly. The contraction from 'baby' is already lazy (does a two-syllable word really need to be shortened? REALLY?); add to that the fact that it sounds bad as well... "bae bae"... I don't know, it's not a cute word for me. At worst it's someone expressing disgust ('Bae! That's gross!), at best it's a baby gurgling (in which case it sucks as a term of endearment). Also, it does mean poop in danish. Which doesn't really help.

[volcaniclastic]

Re: The word "Bae"

I call my dog 'beau'.

Its just a word, guys.

[ThePaganMafia]

Re: The word "Bae"

To be fair that stuff yall used to say in the seventies isn't much better.

[Beibhinn]

Re: The word "Bae"

I have a 17 year old daughter at home..I long ago learned to tune out teenage slang in self-defense.

[TxanGoddess]

Re: The word "Bae"

Yeah, an "-ae" would usually be a substitute for an umlaut sound from German or the Nordic languages.

The reason for it here is that besides being a shortened form of the word "baby", bae is supposed to be an acronym for "[person who I put] Before Anything and Everything."

I was just curious to get a bunch of responses at once, which is harder to do on facebook.

For me personally, I don't know that I could get into using it, but I am alright with the fluidity of language. I am 38, so I when I see friends my age hating on it, I kind of feel like they are becoming old farts!

[Näre]

Re: The word "Bae"

It's pronounced as "Bay"

Ah, okay. Thanks. The ae is a bit confusing.

[EndlessCravings]

Re: The word "Bae"

It's pronounced as "Bay"

[thalassa]

Re: The word "Bae"

Did anyone else think this was obvious?

Yeah, that's where I thought it came from. My daughter (who is 8) uses cray-cray all the time for crazy (her peers double anything where they drop the letter).

[Näre]

Re: The word "Bae"

How's that even pronounced? "Bay"? "Ba-eh"?

[Mootipi]

Re: The word "Bae"

I use Bae with my mates but when we use it it generally means 'good guy' ('guy' itself being a neutral-sex term), like "oh man you bae, that's awesome". Our videogame esports team is even called the UEbAes (a play on UEA, our Uni). I don't really get why it's a bad thing?

[Sean R. R.]

Re: The word "Bae"

Seeing or hearing this word makes me violently irritated.

My feelings exactly.