Attitudes of Language Change Flashcards
What are the two main attitudes towards language change?
Desciptivism
Prescriptivism
What is a Descriptivist’s view?
Change is inevitable
Language shouldn’t be controlled or resticted
What is a Prescriptivist’s view?
There are certain rules to abide by
Language should be fixed
Change ruins language and we should go back to the “Golden Age”
What is the “Golden Age”?
A time which prescriptivists believe the English language was perfect
Who is a non believer of the “Golden Age”?
Milroy
What does Milroy say about the “Golden Age”?
There was no “Golden Age”
What is Milroy’s argument about the “Golden Age”?
18th - 19th century : 40% of people couldn’t write their own name
1940-1965 : less than 20 universities within England
20th century: “loss of Golden Age”
When was the prescriptivist view established?
18th century
rules were made by the Grammarians then, which are still talked about today
How does a prescriptivist’s view see language to be written and spoken as?
They should be used in a certain way:
Spoken in Received Pronunciation
Written in Standard English
What do prescriptivists think of alternative ways of using language such as regional accents and dialects?
They are inferior and incorrect
What do descriptivists actually do?
They describe how the language is actually used
What do descriptivists think of alternative ways of using language such as regional accents and dialects?
They value them all in the same way. There is no right or wrong
What do descriptivists believe about change?
Change is progress. Things become more accurate and efficient, things were lost because they no longer served purpose.
What is a defence for prescriptivist’s views?
People are worried language use is a reflection of people’s behaviour. It is an important social tool and should be treated with respect and care.
Declining language standards = declining behaviour standards
Support for Prescriptivism:
Inkhorn Controversy
Apostrophe usage
Causes confusion and misunderstandings
