dastardly catastrophe: the end of the apostrophe!

Despite having studied linguistics, I’m really not a grammar maven.   Of course, I certainly enjoy listening for speech patterns and I have some pet peeves.  For example, I think the distinction between “you’re” and “your” is really important.



Something I’ve noticed lately is what I suspect is the beginning of the end of the apostrophe.    Language is constantly evolving and my guess is that this change is being helped along by technology.  Who wants to make the extra effort to type an apostrophe on a phone when autocorrect usually inserts it for you?  Also, I think that the impossibility of apostrophes in URLs contributes.

In particular, I notice this with possessive apostrophes in company names.  The first column below gives examples of this.  I also find the large local companies in the second column to be interesting.  I’m not the only one who adds an “’s” when speaking about them, right? 

jumped ship on the apostrophe	often spoken with ‘s though not written	sounds like a possessive, but actually not	hanging on to the apostrophe
Walgreens Harrods Barclays Barneys Twinings	Nordstrom Fred Meyer Bartell Drug	Sears Baskin-Robbins	McDonald’s Macy’s (or MacyHs) Wendy’s Ben & Jerry’s

• I wonder how recently “Twinings” was “Twining’s” because Microsoft suggests that I add an apostrophe…
• I think the star in Macy’s logo is a step towards phasing out the apostrophe.

Apparently other people feel strongly about protecting the apostrophe too: Apostrophe Protection Society.