Sir, – George Orwell published his book, Nineteen Eighty-Four, 75 years ago. The book is about England under a dictatorship, and he described the introduction of Newspeak, a version of the English language with such a limited vocabulary that dissent would be impossible, as there would be no words to express it.
Adjectives were reduced to “good” and “ungood”.
The modern version of Newspeak goes further, and replaces all such descriptive words with “unbelievable” or “incredible”.
We speak of looking at an unbelievable view or watching an incredible game.
Mark O'Connell: The mystery is not why we Irish have responded to Israel’s barbarism. It’s why others have not
Afghan student nurses crushed as Taliban blocks last hope of jobs
Emer McLysaght: The seven deadly things you should never buy a child at Christmas
‘No place to hide’: Trapped on the US-Mexico border, immigrants fear deportation
The cry of “I don’t believe it!” now means “I am amazed/ delighted/disappointed/ horrified (and I do believe it)”.
In an era of misinformation, disinformation and lies, it is dangerous that we are losing the ability to say we think that something is untrue.
MICHAEL PEGUM,
Donnybrook,
Dublin.