Linguists take a disinterested approach to emojis as they are more similar to gestures than written language and not subject to grammar rules. Emojis can be used in any way the writer sees fit, and are creating a richer form of online communication. The father of emojis is Japanese designer Shigetaka Kurita, and the most used food emojis on Twitter are birthday cake, pizza, and strawberry. Emojis have also become popular as tattoos.
There are three kinds of people when it comes to emojis: those who use them in everything they write, those who despise them, and linguists. And while one might expect the latter group to loathe the proliferation of emojis, most linguists tend to take a disinterested approach, according to one expert. This is because emojis are more similar to gestures than written language, and therefore are not subject to the same grammar rules. In an article for The Conversation website, Lauren Gawne argues that, despite her preferences, “there’s nothing ‘grammatical'” about emojis. It might be true that a thumbs-up symbol clearly indicates approval, but technically speaking, an emoji can be used in any way the writer sees fit, even if no one else gets it. Even in cases where it might feel awkward to insert one emoji before another – for example, a birthday cake before a smile would appear to say “happy birthday” rather than “happy birthday” – it really all boils down to personal choice , not linguistic clarity. Gawne, who co-created the language-focused podcast Lingthusiasm with Gretchen McCulloch, says those who think emojis are a threat to good grammar should reconsider: “We can celebrate the fact that emojis are creating a richer form of online communication that restores characteristics from gesture to language”.
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Japanese designer Shigetaka Kurita is often referred to as the “father of emoji” after designing a space-saving collection of mobile emoji for an email service in 1999.
The most used food emojis on Twitter are, in order: birthday cake, slice of pizza and strawberry.
Emojis have become popular as tattoos; Miley Cyrus reportedly has a sad cat emoji tattooed on the inside of her lower lip, and Philadelphia 76ers star Mike Scott has at least two emojis tattooed on her arms.
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