Prescriptivism Flashcards
What’s prescriptivism ?
To prescribe rules to language. Language should be preserved and fixed
Is it easy to see prescriptivism?
Yes, as they are too concerned with rules to be followed, some rules needed for effective communication.
What metaphors are used about language change?
Broken,diseased, decaying, scavenger, need protecting/defending, being polluted, killing other languages.
More metaphors
English= under threat or risk in some way.
What type of language is the English language?
A hybrid language
What are prescriptivists and descriptivists seen as?
Adversaries in linguistic war
What did Dr Samuel Johnson do?
Published dictionary of the English language 1755
Standardised spelling a and tried to fix the English language, found it impossible as it’s always changing
Who’s Robert Lowth?
Pulblished first English grammar book 1762
Made rules (in Latin) for correct use of words
Some constructions are grammatically wrong-> ie: multiple negotiation= you don’t know nothing
Split infinitives-> to boldly go
Who’s Jonathan swift?
1712- decided to improve the English language -> wanted experts
Thought English language= in chaos
Criticises young sociolects- like present day concerns youth dialect= ‘fam’
Who’s John Humphrys?
Wrote article ‘I h8 txt msgs’
Dislikes text speak ‘BRB’
Dislikes incorrect pronoun usage - ‘i’ vs ‘me’
What is disagreed about with Standard English and RP?
Double superlatives ‘most poorest’, American spellings ‘color’, grammatical conversion ‘text’ as noun and verb, ending with prepositions, beginning sentences with conjunctions
What’s traditional prescriptivism?
Believe correct way to use language, want to keep standard forms, condemn irregular use.
Who’s Lyne truss?
Wrote a book
Says state of punctuation in UK and US rules being relaxed
Concerned with accurate use of apostrophes
Blames 19th century custom of adding apostrophes before plural of borrowed words ‘banana ‘ s ‘.
