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Chapter 4 Summary

pp. 136-166

National Modernity and English as a National Language

Pam Smiley

I. Modernity and the rise of a national language

A. Modernity

1. As a state of mind - implies an intellectual outlook based on a self-knowledge and rational argument rather than subservience to dogma or belief in magic.

2. As a social condition - Implies particular forms of social relation based on forms of capitalism.

B. The Renaissance

1. The revival of learning

2. Scholars rediscovered works of classical scholars of Greek and Romantimes.

3. Printing press invented

C. The growth of Capitalism

1. Social Classes formed.

2. International trade grew, so did banking and stock exchanges.

D. The Reformation

1. The breaking away of northern Europe from the Catholic faith.

2. 1530's Henry VIII declared himself rather than the pope the head of the Catholic faith.

3. Effect was to focus on English rather than Latin or other European languages.

E. The Rise of Humanist Science

1. Copernicus - Calculated that the sun rather than the earth is the center of the Solar System.

2. Isaac Newton - Investigation of properties of gravity & light.

3. Period in which modern science emerged.

4. Idea that knowledge resulted from proof of hypothesis.

F. Standardization - 4 Main Processes

1. Selection - choose the language to use.

2. Codification - "Set" it through dictionaries, education, etc.

3. Elaboration - Ensure that language can be used for a wide variety of functions.

4. Implementation - Make people "proud" of the language. Make texts available. Encourage only that language.

II. Caxton and the consequences of printing

A. Caxton introduced printing to Britain.

B. He printed dialects of South-east Midlands.

C. Printing made it possible for identical material to be read by all people.

III. Elaboration of English

A. Their was a movement to make English suitable for literary works -eloquent.

B. Wanted new, more eloquent English words.

1. 3 Principles of creating new vocabulary

a. Words could be invented

b. Words could be adopted from Latin or Greek.

c. Obsolete English words could be brought back into use - some

with new meanings.

IV. Codification of English

A. English Grammar Works Introduced

1. Lily - "A Short Intro of Grammar"

2. Bullokars - "Bref Grammar for English" (1586)

B. Vowel Shift - The raising of vowels in words like moon and the dipthongization of words like Loud.

V. Puritanism and the Rise of Science

A. During the 16th century, Puritan Scholars began studying English dialects.

Puritans adopted different dialects and created a possibility for and under-

standing of English as a national language capable of uniting people in the

Eyes of God - 1640's Puritan prospectives became political.

1. Thou was abandoned for you. You = democracy and egalitarianism

Thou had an unfavorable assoc. with Quakers.

B. Idea began in 17th century that it was easier to learn Latin if you learn English first.

VI. The 18th & 19th Century

A. Samuel Johnson's dictionary - 1755 - 40,000 words. Dictionaries would no longer contain just hard words.

B. 18th century - Reserved pronunciation (RP) - created in fee-paying public schools- taught highly focused form of pronunciation.

C. 1800's - Literature began being available for common people in English.

D. Oxford English Dictionary - widely seen as the finest achievement of the philological method.

1. Showed sense, history, spelling, and quotations of words.

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