Laissez-faire Linguistics

Question 1

Theories to include

Answer 1

Crystal, Henry Hitchings, the Inkhorn Controversy, Thomas Nasche

Question 2

Crystal- loan words

Answer 2

‘All languages have always been in contact with other languages. There is no such thing as a ‘pure’ language.’ ‘Loan words always add semantic value to a language, providing people with the opportunity to present their thoughts in a more nuanced way’

Question 3

‘In the Language Wars: A history of Proper English’ Henry Hitchings

Answer 3

‘Rather than thinking of this as degeneration, we can see this diversity of languages in a different way: as permitting through its richness greater possibilities for creativity and adaptability.’

Question 4

The Inkhorn Controversy

Answer 4

Writers of the Renaissance began to expand the vocabulary by coining new words or borrowing extensively from classical Lang or romance lang including French. Shakespeare introduced 1700 new words

Question 5

Thomas Nashe 1593

Answer 5

‘Our English tongue… most swarmeth with the single money of monasillables’

Question 6

Crystal what does he say loan words are

Answer 6

‘Loan words are the invisible exports of a world where people talk to each other’

Question 7

1066 Norman invasion words

Answer 7

Semantic field of law- arrest, judge, jury. Social order- duke, baron, peasant. Food- pork, mutton

Question 8

What did French loan words encourage

Answer 8

Narrowing- when new words entered our language from the French, they pushed the English equivalent to take a more specific meaning.

Question 9

How many French words entered eng lexicon

Answer 9

10,000

Question 10

Polysemy meaning

Answer 10

Words acquire many possible meanings which coexist with the original

Question 11

Two phrases

Answer 11

‘I am a strong advocate of’ ‘I can’t conceive’

Question 12

How many Eng words are borrowed from the French

Answer 12

45%

Question 13

Saphir Whorf Hypothesis quoted by Thomson

Answer 13

Hypothetical barrel- labelled empty so watchman threw a hot match into it but it had explosive fumes yet no term in Eng lang to describe this so didn’t know to be careful

Question 14

More examples of French words

Answer 14

Beef, mutton, chateaux, charming, delightful

Question 15

David Crystal on how we cannot control Lang

Answer 15

Story of Canute- as king he could not stop the incoming tide or the might of God. ‘They have never managed it in the past. They never will in the future.’ ‘The more a language becomes a national, then an international, then a global language, the more it ceases to be in the ownership of its originators’

Question 16

Examples of Americanisms

Answer 16

24/7, movie, cool, dude, chill, can I get a, already, suck, oh my god!, actually are u actually kidding me, ASAP, you can say that again

Question 17

Pyles and Algeo on Americanisms

Answer 17

The differences between AE & BE are trivial &there is no essential difference

Question 18

Lynne Murphy on Americanisms

Answer 18

Americanisms are not ruining BE

Question 19

Word of Mouth BBC RADIO 4 ‘Like Totally Awesome’ The Americanisation of English. Lin Murphy and Matthew Engel- what does Engel say

Answer 19

‘Incredible loss of biodiversity’ ‘identity of our nation in doubt’

Question 20

Examples of Indian English

Answer 20

‘I belong to Mumbai’

Question 21

Singapore English example

Answer 21

Different word order- Go where take bag ah? ‘There can sit’ ‘Bo Liao’ (feeling bored), atas (posh)

Question 22

David Crystal American English in Europe

Answer 22

‘To many purists, anything that they consider ‘wrong with their language may be ascribed to American influence.’ E.g. view that Eng should not be ended with a proposition

Question 23

South African English (SAE)

Answer 23

• Lexically: ‘robot’ is used instead of traffic light.
• Grammatically: unstandardised plurality in words like ‘furniture’ and repetition of words to increase meaning (‘the teddy is a big big tiger’).
• Phonologically: /p/, /t/ and /k/ are stressed in word initial positions.

Question 24

African American Vernacular English (AAVE)

Answer 24

• Lexically: ‘homie’, ‘blood’ and ‘fam’ are all used as terms of endearment.
• Grammatically: multiple negation is in use, ‘ain’t’ is popular and the copula is elided.
• Phonologically: the /in/ is used instead of the /iŋ/.

Question 25

Indian English

Answer 25

• Lexically: use of ‘upgradation’ as a noun.
• Grammatically: use of the progressive form of a stative verb (e.g. ‘he is thinking he knows the answer’ rather than ‘he thinks he knows the answer’.
• Phonologically: /ɔ/ (or) is articulated as /o/ (oo).

Question 26

McArthur and Modiano

McArthur’s Model shows

Answer 26

All englishes of equal value

Question 27

What did David Crystal say about global English

Answer 27

‘Expressive of local identity, and a means of creating solidarity,

Question 28

What did Beneke say

Answer 28

80% of English speaking people non-native speakers