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Ongoing Evolution of the English Language (Prescriptivism (Robert Lowth…
Ongoing Evolution of the English Language
Descriptivism
Definition
The belief that books about language should describe how language is really used, rather than giving rules to follow saying what is correct and not correct
Joseph Priestly
(1733-1804) was a descriptivist
He was an empirical scientist and understood the importance of observation
He published a book on grammar based on a collection of observations on the structure of the English
He had the idea of simplicity and applied it to English grammar
He disliked the Gallicisms
Prescriptivism
Definition
The belief that there are correct and wrong ways to use language and that books about language should give rules to follow, rather than describing how language is really used
During the Renaissance the correct spelling and pronunciation of English became an important class distinction
Robert Lowth
(1710'1787) was Hebrew, strong prescrivist, grammarian
wrote several books on English grammar in order to teach what is right
He based largely on his study of Latin
Thomas Sheridan
(1799-1788) Irish writer produced a Course of Lectures on Elocution (1762), A Rhetorical Grammar of the English Language (1788) and A General Dictionary of the English Language (1780) in which he gives guidelines for the "correct use" of English
John Walker
(1732-1807) A Londoner and prescriptive author of the late 18th century, best known for his Critical pronouncing dictionary (1791) which enjoyed great popularity in its day and throughout the entire nineteenth century.
Samuel Johnson
(1709-1784) lexicographer started as a prescriptivist and then converted to a descriptivist
Famous for his Dictionary of English Language
The dictionary was published in 1755
For 150 years the dictionary served to fix the English Language by the very act of recording it
It was the standard reference for spelling, pronunciation and definition
The dictionary was superseded by the Oxford English Dictionary
Richard Trench
James Murray
A proposal was made by Richard Trench in 1857 to the Philological Society to design a new dictionary, the Scotsman
James Murray (1837-1915) became the main editor
He describes his goal to bring rule and order to the English Language
During the time he was writing the dictionary, his goals shifted
He recognized that language was continuously subject to change
