Language

Language interests me, as it should when living in a country where English is not a native language, even though fairly widely understood, for a given value of 'understood'.

That's a rather different matter, though. My main interest comes in English itself, and the changes that occur over a period of time. Many are the changes from over a thousand years ago to the present time, of course. Old English needs to be learned, if anyone so desires to do, as a foreign language. The language of Chaucer can be read with the aid of a glossary and a little imagination, and the Swan of Avon needs no introduction to any educated and cultured person.

However, my current interest revolves around the changes that occur over a much shorter time. I've lived outside England for a quarter of a century now, and use my host country's language on a daily basis, visiting England about once a year or so. In that quarter of a century, I note some radical changes to my native language, some of them rather odd. For example, there is the expression, 'It's down to you', meaning that a given action, or choice of actions is left to another individual to decide upon. Fair enough, but I always say,'It's up to you', an older form of the expression. The meaning is the same, but the wording has altered. Why? When? Nobody seems to know. In fact, I am assured that it has always been that way, even from people whom I know have used the older form, and have quite obviously forgotten it. Others claim it must have come from America, but I know several Americans to whom 'down to you' is unknown.

The change is still in a process of movement, as evinced by one of my favourite authors, who uses both forms in a single piece of writing, apparently unconsciously. At least, there seems to be no shades of difference of meaning attached to them.

Can anyone shed light on this matter?