Why "unfortunately" but not "alas?"

[Kolby Jack]

"Alas" has fallen out of favor with everyday English, but it's much longer synonym remains? I'm no linguistic scholar, just a guy with a small interest in the field, but isn't it usually the shorter word that becomes preferred over time? Is there another example of something like this? I can't think of any right now.

 

[sanquin]

I chalk it up to one of the odd quirks of society's advancement. If you take english as an example, it has a lot of oddities in it to be honest. Not just unfortunately vs alas.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Maybe people have just come to see it as too much of an old-timey, archaic term. Something you'd use in some kind of Shakespearean drama play, but not in everyday life.

Truth be told, alas is the older term out of the two, originating somewhere in the 1200s while unfortunately is 'only' from the 1500s.

 

[Risingblade]

Unfortunately fluffs up essays much more than alas

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

"Alas" strikes me as a tad over-dramatic. It's the kind of thing you mutter while holding your nan's skull.

 

[FalloutJack]

I would say nay on that, good sir. Either works. It's just a matter os style.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

If it's any consolation, I still use "alas" for various situations. It is a very light and breezy word. No effort in it's delivery from the tongue. Alas a syllable or two more may be overcompensation for the insecurities of one's intelligence, mayhaps? (Not sure if i just made that word up.)

 

[Zhukov]

I use the word "alas", both in speech and writing.

Usually only when I'm being bit of a goof though. It's not really suited for a straight-faced casual conversation.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I tend to use it humorously because of how over-dramatic it sounds.

 

[Loop Stricken]

"Alas" has fallen out of favor with everyday English

Joke's on you, I happen to use it practically every day.

 

[MysticSlayer]

Unfortunately, we may never know the answer. My guess is that "alas" sounds a little too dramatic for most situations where the two words can be used, but unfortunately I can't offer more than that. Unfortunately.

 

[Ima Lemming]

It's kind of like the difference between "Where" and "Whither"; it's a matter of style. "Unfortunately" is considered less formal than "Alas", so it crops up in informal language more.

 

[Kotaro]

I still use "alas" when I want to add a bit of dramatic flair.

 

[Dornedas]

I think a big part could have to do with the internet/globalisation.
For a dirty foreigner like me when I see the word unfortunately I immediately know what it means. Or I can at least guess the meaning.
You have the word fortune. From this you can guess what fortunately means. Having fortune or something along those lines.
And the prefix un means that you negate the meaning of fortunately.

"Alas" on the other hand:Literally every time I read this I wondered what it could mean. At least until today. And I thank you for that.

 

[EvilRoy]

Its a little bit connotative and a little bit definition for those of us who were whipped in the STEM paper mines for all those years.

Alas is grief pity or concern, while unfortunate has the first definition of unlucky and second of unsuitable.

So the statement "Alas, the results did not support this analysis" implies that I personally wanted a particular result, which I shouldn't when mining papers, and it sounds a little dramatic anyway.

The statement "Unfortunately, the results did not support this analysis" implies that the results were just unsuitable/bad luck for the analysis, and although its a little odd to call up bad luck, basically you're shrugging your shoulders and saying it didn't work rather than grieving the results.

 

[JohnZ117]

"Alas" has fallen out of favor with everyday English

Joke's on you, I happen to use it practically every day.

How bad is your life that you must speak constantly of unfortunate situations?

O.t., I think I am one of those weirdos that are more used to using unfortunately, but I do try to use "yonder" when appropriate.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

Cause it's not the 17th century anymore and it makes me cringe when people try to sound sophisticated by trying to use obsolete words.

"'Tis, Alas, Hence" all make me die a little inside. Nothing sounds closer to "wanker" than the use of any of those words in a serious context.

 

[Loop Stricken]

"Alas" has fallen out of favor with everyday English

Joke's on you, I happen to use it practically every day.

How bad is your life that you must speak constantly of unfortunate situations?

No money, no girl, no job, being forced on a 'work placement' where one works 9-5 for no money, but you get to keep your £70 a week benefits.
'tis a bit rough, alas. Hence the general disparaging nature of my wordings.

Cause it's not the 17th century anymore and it makes me cringe when people try to sound sophisticated by trying to use obsolete words.

"'Tis, Alas, Hence" all make me die a little inside. Nothing sounds closer to "wanker" than the use of any of those words in a serious context.

Luckily, I'm an insufferable twat.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

"Alas" has fallen out of favor with everyday English

Joke's on you, I happen to use it practically every day.

How bad is your life that you must speak constantly of unfortunate situations?

No money, no girl, no job, being forced on a 'work placement' where one works 9-5 for no money, but you get to keep your £70 a week benefits.
'tis a bit rough, alas. Hence the general disparaging nature of my wordings.

Cause it's not the 17th century anymore and it makes me cringe when people try to sound sophisticated by trying to use obsolete words.

"'Tis, Alas, Hence" all make me die a little inside. Nothing sounds closer to "wanker" than the use of any of those words in a serious context.

Luckily, I'm an insufferable twat.

I'll have you know that I was the original insufferable wanker. Everything I've ever written is absolute shite, so there!

 

[Silver Patriot]

If there was a reason I would say it is just because people use the word fortunately and it is easier to stick a "un" in front of that rather than remember a different word for it.