Overall Context Flashcards
English language eras
450-1150 Old English
1150-1500 Middle English
1500-1700 Early Modern English
1700-1900 Late Modern English
1900-present Present Day English
EME
Technology - 1476 William Caxton’s printing press
Dictionaries - 1755 Samuel Johnson published his ‘Dictionary of the English Language’ 40,000 detailed entries. Johnson set out to ‘fix’ what he saw as a chaotic and untidy language (prescriptivist position) eventually saw his role was to describe (descriptivist) rather than prescribe language.
Literature - C16-18th ‘golden age’ of English Literature. John Donne, John Milton and William Shakespeare all chose to use English, rather than Latin or French which had been the language of the social elite / educated classes. English took on an increased sense of gravitas and social status. Vocabulary increase and increase in publications.
Grammarians - 1762 Robert Lowth’s A Short Introduction to English Grammar, Lindley Murray’s English Grammar in 1794. Highly prescriptive, arguing for a ‘correct’ way of using English, class differentiation.
Standardisation - the process under which language develops a standard ‘prestige’ variety.
LME
Industrial Revolution 1760-1840 - Tasks previously done by hand performed by machines. Rise in mass production, transport technology, standards of living. Rapid urbanisation and increased language contact.
Empire and Globalisation - Between C16th and 20th, the British Empire expanded,
English was imposed as an official language in many colonies, with little respect for local, indigenous languages. Imposing English as a language was an important way of establishing authority, language was a political tool to demonstrate power.
Register - a particular variety of language, as defined according to the way it is used in social situations and different contexts. e.g. formal English, business English, legalese, colloquial language, political spiel.
