Txt means goodbye to 'hello'

A whole generation has a new way of speaking from technology

Traditional greetings like "hello" are being replaced by the language of e-mail and text messaging, a new report has found.

And the constant use of slang words could see basic words like 'goodbye' made obsolete within a generation.

People using new technologies to communicate are much more likely to start the conversation "hey" and sign it off "laters" than the more formal alternatives, says the study.

The report's authors blamed the rise of "globespeak" - people from all over the world using the same shorthand.

"We have a situation where more people use electronic communication than old-fashioned letters.

"The way these technologies work often results in us talking faster and with more slang.

REPLACE HELLO WITH: Hey G'day Hola Howdy Yo

"It wouldn't surprise me if, in 50 years, there was no longer a need for 'hello' and 'goodbye' in general or certainly in electronic communication," said Jonathon Green, a lexicographer and author of a dictionary of slang.

The report was written for website msn.co.uk which also commissioned a survey to discover examples of "globespeak".

The most common alternative for "hello" when starting an informal e-mail or text message was "hey", followed by "g'day", "hola", "howdy" and "yo", according to the survey of 2,000 people.

REPLACE GOODBYE WITH: Laters Ciao Au revoir Hasta la vista In a while

When it comes to saying "goodbye", the most likely alternative is "laters", then "ciao", "au revoir", "hasta la vista" and "in a while".

The survey also looked at how people writing to one another by electronic communication referred to a friend.

"Mate" was the number one choice, followed by "love", "sweetheart", "buddy" and "pal".

Tracy Blacher, MSN marketing director, said: "What is interesting is the speed that language is being modified by the adoption of new technology."