Histories of the English language

"The very idea of a history of English is problematic, and its politics are thorny. Two new histories cover the usual ground convincingly, yet both offer fresh approaches," writes Henry Hitchings, author of 'Dr Johnson's Dictionary: the extraordinary story of the book that defined the world'. "English comprises a forest of varieties. These include Irish English, ... as well as Maori English, the West African English spoken in Ghana and Sierra Leone, and recent fusions such as Singlish (spoken in Singapore). Where a history of English might once have focused on its 'standard' form, an authoritative telling must now take account of dialects and variants. Furthermore, where it was once acceptable to talk about 'the triumph of English', it is now customary to identify the extraordinary spread of the language as a mark of the ruthless imperialism of Britain and America. At the same time, a subtle version of its history may well give space to the history of languages spoken in England, which is something quite different."

» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » History, » United Kingdom
All available articles from » Henry Hitchings

» To the complete press review of Tuesday, September 12, 2006