the ramble dump

Probably, sadly, the most interesting thing we've done all year in English Language class has been the history of the English language, something that we don't even need for the big and important exams that are coming up in the next few weeks.

I always find it interesting to see how things have come to be the way they are; how the world has reacted to the biggest and smallest events, the rippling and fizzling of the almost uncontrollable chaos of cause and effect. That's history. A duke is shot in Sarajevo, the proverbial camel's back breaks and suddenly we find ourselves engaged in a world war. The USSR launches the Sputnik space programme, spurring the USA to regain a technological lead by founding an agency which seeks to further the research of a nationwide network of radar systems; and now, nearly fifty years later, I'm on this thing called the internet inventing stories about skateboarding slugs and spacecustard with some weirdo on the other side of the Atlantic.

Wrapped around all these events in history great and small is language. Every modern language carries with it the weight of all the history it's been through, and yet it's the most immediate reflection of the world we currently live in: we're constantly introducing new words or changing the meanings of old ones to fit our purposes. Language changes or it stops being useful and, unless you deliberately preserve it, it dies out. Some words fall out of use, become obscure and fade away, but language is forever changing and expanding to stay alive and leaves us with some impressive banks of vocabulary to draw from whenever we decide we want to say or write something (assuming the recipient has a dictionary on hand).

When it comes to the size of vocabulary, the English language, in its various forms, is currently the richest, most diverse language there is. Why? Because we've absorbed so many others. Here are some of the 'landmarks' according to the timeline I've been given: in 436AD, the Romans withdraw from Britain leaving behind Latin. A few years later, the Anglo-Saxons arrive and bring with them the Germanic language, forming Old English. In 597 Latin then returns to Britain in the form of St Augustine and the Roman Catholic Church, and two hundred years later the Vikings pay a visit and give us some Norse. In 1066, the Normans invade and social changes are reflected through a rift in the language: those of higher class use grand and sophisticated French words like faeces, while German--and shit--becomes common and a bit vulgar. In 1204, King John loses his English territory in France and the French influence retreats.

Then when Britain decides it has quite finished being invaded, it sticks its colonial fingers abroad and taps the lexis of all its gains: in 1600, the East India Company establishes a trading post in India; seven years later, the first British Colony is established in Jamestown, Virginia (had it been different, the USA may today have been speaking French). In 1610, battles with Ireland reduce the influence of Gaelic; in 1745, the Battle of Culloden results in the Anglicisation of Scotland. The first convict transport ships arive in Australia in 1788. Britain abolishes slavery in 1837, blacks become lawfully equal citizens and the language is broadened. In 1845, the Great Potato Famine drives thousands of Irish immigrants to British and American shores. And so it continues, each event influencing and further expanding the language. Now there's the internet, with millions of people worldwide communicating with each other.

I'm probably being weird, but I find the thought of this pretty awe-inspiring. Most English-speaking people only ever use the smallest fraction of the language in their lives, enough as is practical. But here we are with all this wealth of language, and when people do explore it and utilise it and realise it as a powerful means of expression, the richness of the English language--with all the subtleties and nuances that have developed during its long history--is really something to appreciate.

Labels: i am the ramblemaster, language, starcustard

# posted by Chris @ 11:16 PM