Today’s teenagers sound like they’re speaking a foreign language. Because they are. From overly casual word choices to abbreviations and gross exaggerations, here’s how language impacts your teen’s life

“That was savage!”

Uhh, thank you?

“I’m feeling hangry.”

Should I call the doctor?

“Why so salty?”

Wait… are you talking about me — or food? Is that the opposite of peppery?

If any of these phrases leave you scratching your head, you’re probably not a teenager. But if you spend time around teenagers, you might have noticed they seem to be speaking a different language, one punctuated with:

• Words that you thought you could define — like salty or extra
• Abbreviations or shortened forms of familiar words — like sus and perf
• New concoctions which you can’t begin to comprehend — like hundo P. or finna

Not to mention their extreme exaggerations of their current state of mind: “I’m dying!” “I’m gonna kill her!” “My life is ooooooooooooooover!”

What's happening here? Is this normal teenage behavior?

For parents especially, the way teens adopt another manner of speaking is puzzling and disturbing. Parenting experts constantly emphasize the importance of open communication. But how do you communicate with someone when you don’t speak their language?

Furthermore, teen speak grates on the ears of those of us who aren’t part of their generation. “Use proper English!” many a grandmother has chastised her chatty granddaughter.

How does this funky manner of speaking impact the long-term language development of teenagers —and how they ultimately function as adults?

The Development of Language

Relax. Your child is normal.

Depending on your age, you might remember when words like nifty or groovy were in vogue, or totally rad and coolness. Some of these phrases now sound silly to our ears, whereas others seem normal. That’s how language works — there’s a natural ebb and flow to it, with words falling in and out of popularity. Your teen, who thinks he and his friends are so cutting edge, may be surprised to learn, for instance, that “salty” originated in the 1930s. And “I can’t even”? Singer Bob Dylan crooned that line back in the 60s.

For as long as language has existed, it's been evolving. Of the approximately 7,000 languages around the world, linguists describe some languages as “living,” while others are “dying.” We, every one of us, determine how language develops and whether it thrives or fades away.

Do you walk every morning to the omnibus stop? That’s what the multiple people-carrying vehicle used to be called, but people started shortening it to bus — and it stuck. Words, especially slang, fade in and out of popularity. Many see language changes as a bad thing — particularly people above a certain age — complaining that it “corrupts” language and makes people ignore grammar.