"English is the result of the efforts of Norman men-at-arms to make dates with Saxon barmaids, and is no more legitimate than any of the other results."

English is a creole, arising from the efforts of the conquering Normans and the native Anglo-Saxons to communicate. Anglo-Saxon, also known as Old English, was already a combination, with the Norse contributing heavily to the language in the northern part of the country. Middle English changed all up and down and across England; people often could not understand people from twenty miles away. Spelling varied with pronunciation, with most people spelling as they spoke. I have seen three letters, written by two lords and a secretary, in October 1483; one spells October "octobre," another "octobyr," and another "october." They also differ on the spelling of "the": þ^e, þe, the.

I wish I could locate William Caxton’s explanation of why he chose the spelling system he did when he started the first printing business in England in 1476. He gives examples of pronunciation and vocabulary changes along the Thames. The spelling system he chose was the preeminent one of his day. Unfortunately, the pronunciation system that prevailed was from a different area! Thanks to printing, the spelling has not changed much in the last 600 years, but pronunciations have, sometimes influenced by the spelling and sometimes not. Grammar has changed, too; present progressive has entered the language since Shakespeare.

Since then, English has taken vocabulary from every language its speakers have encountered. The spelling will often be kept, but seldom the pronunciation.

The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.

Last Edited on 19-Sep-2008 11:49 AM

I suspect every language has something similar.

Thanks again for the info!

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-Ali