Language II: The Adventure of English

If there is one thing that can be declared about the English language, it's that it always varies. In the same way that language can be spoken differently by different people, it can also be viewed differently by different people. Through the years, there have been many intellectuals and writers who have stated their view of English with each being different from the others. The Adventure of English displays several of these views in its sixth episode, and I, being the language student that I am, will show how these views vary from my own perception of the English language.

As I stated before, change and variance are a large part of the English language. This is something I have accepted and embraced. However, to some people this characteristic is unacceptable. On of these people is John Locke, who thought that it was vital for English to be standardized in order to make it understandable for everyone. Personally, I don't think that Locke should complain so much. At least English doesn't have a word that means straw in one country, cigarette in another, and male genitalia in another. I'm looking at you Spanish. Anyways, I think that this thought is to be expected from a man who studies science, a study where a slight misunderstanding could lead do disaster; however, language goes beyond just science. When it comes to other studies such as philosophy and language itself where topics can be unclear, the language can't be expected to be completely understandable. We can't enjoy a world of multiple representations and clever puns if we cant mess around with the understanding of words. The same goes to Samuel Johnson, writer of A Dictionary of the English Language, who only included his own version of the English language in his dictionary. Language can't really be defined. We often cannot describe our thoughts, and what is language? The communication of said thoughts. Much like the mind, language can't be concrete.

What is concrete is writing. Well, something already written. You can write in any way you want (unless you're in school or taking an exam), but you can't change something that is already written. You can't just change a writer's already existing work. You can alter it in order to make it more understandable, but that text is now shared by you and the original author. However, I would not recommend that. You don't see people approaching Michelangelo's David with a chisel in hand. This leads to my next point. As writing became more prominent, people started regarding written English as the correct English. I respond to that with a simile: text is like a bust. Confused? Think of it this way. A person exists and can be viewed by many people, but these views are only temporal. How can you allow the people of the future to view this person? Well, by making a bust. However, there is a difference between seeing a bust and seeing the actual person. When looking at the person, you can think whatever you want. When looking at a bust, your thoughts are limited by those of the artist implemented on the bust. The same case is seen in language. An idea can be described in many different ways through speech and can be limited through text. Text is important in making language last, but it also greatly limits language. Writer's block is a proof of this. You can have many ideas expressed in language in your head, but you struggle in fitting them into text. Don't get me wrong. Writing is a crucial part of English. I just think that it can't be considered as a norm when it is simply the tip of the iceberg.

Adaptation or Extinction?

Language has always been plagued with discrimination towards a "wrong" form of language. However, these conclusions were hardly ever based on the language itself. Most discriminated forms of language were based on opinions towards the users of that form of language. Just as the Scottish were in England, African Americans were discriminated by many things including their language. However, African Americans' magnitude of discrimination was much greater. Unlike the Scottish, African Americans weren't lucky enough to have their own country where their dialect would be praised and accepted. Thus, the African American dialect was constantly under attack. In the fifth episode of The Story of Language, a woman tells of that discrimination while being interviewed. Their dialect, called Gulla Language, was greatly looked down upon reaching the point where the some African Americans were ashamed of the dialect that connected them to their ancestors. 

As the episode continues, it starts showing younger people who speak less traditional forms of the Gulla dialect. This shows how the repression has led the dialect in an evolution that keeps getting closer to what would be considered as standard English despite varying greatly across the country. Sadly, nowadays, supposedly without such strong discrimination towards race, the extinction of the dialect is still in process. Youtube user jposh707 shows his worries by commenting, "I can see it in my own family. My grandmother, who was born in 1917 in New York, speaks much differently than I do. It's sad in a way because I feel that American English has become a lot more homogenized and institutionalized. The color and character of her vocabulary is something that will be lost when she and her generation are gone." This is an example of the death of tradition, a problem that goes way beyond language all over the world. Going back to my argument from my previous post where I argued against the idea that languages helped add diversity to the world by stating that dialects can serve the same purpose, how can people complain that a global language would kill cultures if it is them who don't let cultures develop their own dialects. Going back to jposh707's comment, I find the use of the word "homogenized" very interesting since, when combining two things into one, characteristics of each one are generally applied. This is shown in how many of the words said to be part of the African American dialect have become "American" slang. Though it might die out, African American dialect leaves its mark with the use of words such as "cool" and "bad." In a way, we are all a little black (apologies for the use of such a crude word).

"Black on White." The Story of English. Writ. Robert McCrum and Robert MacNeil. Dir. Vivian Ducat, Howard Reid. BBC MCML XXXVI. YouTube.

Evolution vs Language

Much loch th' evolution ay a species, th' evolution ay a leid is due tae mony factors. a body ay th' biggest factors in baith situations is isolation. if a crew ay members ay a species is separated frae th' others by, let's say, bein' oan an islain, th' differences atween th' isolated crew an' lae ay th' species will be undeniable. that's wa th' iguanas frae th' galapagos islands ur sae big. its loch if th' other iguanas, due tae nae bein' oan th' islain, didne gie th' memo sayin' 'at bein' big was hip. th' sam happens in leid. irish sassenach, scottish sassenach, an' oxford sassenach waur ance exactly th' sam. they aw took different paths when they foond themselves in different islands ur regions. upon discoverin' each other, they waur obvioosly confused. confusion becam anger, an' that's wa th' uk hates each other. weel, partly. hink ay it thes way. imagine 'at ye ur a stoatin galapos iguana an' suddenly ye fin' thes hin' 'at looks jist loch ye but wee. thes iguana is naethin' but a wrang, inferiur representation ay yerself. 'at is th' way th' sassenach felt towards th' scottish an' th' irish. they felt disgusted by th' bastardization ay their leid an' felt superiur tae them 'en again, th' sassenach feel superiur tae a' fowk. whit aam tryin' tae say is 'at isolation leids tae difference, an' difference leids tae hate. 

movin' oan, as isolation becam harder tae accomplish wi' th' years, changes in leid cam tae be via mixin'. in an attempt tae continue thes relationship atween creature evolution an' leid evolution, Ah will relate th' mixin' ay leid wi' cross-breedin'. weel, eh'd loch tae, but ken naethin' abit cross-breedin' an' dinnae caur tae research. whit Ah can research is th' mixin' ay languages. by watchin' th' foorth episode ay th' story ay sassenach, Ah foond it 'at soothern american accents ur actually evolutions ay th' scottish sassenach. thes was due tae th' arrival ay scottish immigrants fa traveled doon th' moontains. Ah guess 'at scottish sassenach an' american sassenach got alang bonnie weel an' gae birth tae hillbillies. weel, nae hillbillies but whit comes it their gob. 'at still soonds bonnie unsettlin' an' weird. a factur ay evolution 'at Ah woods loch tae see mair ay in leid is natural selection. wa ur ye prood ay yer accent coz nae a body understands it? in nature, ye dornt see white tigers showin' aff tae their orange coonter parts hoo they cannae hunt coz they're aye spottend when they hide.

Much like the evolution of a species, the evolution of a language is due to many factors. One of the biggest factors in both situations is isolation. If a group of members of a species is separated from the others by, let's say, being on an island, the differences between the isolated group and the rest of the species will be undeniable. That's why the iguanas from the Galapagos islands are so big. Its like if the other iguanas, due to not being on the island, didn't get the memo saying that being big was hip. The same happens in language. Irish English, Scottish English, and Oxford English were once exactly the same. They all took different paths when they found themselves in different islands or regions. Upon discovering each other, they were obviously confused. Confusion became anger, and that's why the UK hates each other. Well, partly. Think of it this way. Imagine that you are a great Galapagos iguana and suddenly you find this thing that looks just like you but tiny. This iguana is nothing but a wrong, inferior representation of yourself. That is the way the English felt towards the Scottish and the Irish. They felt disgusted by the bastardization of their language and felt superior to them Then again, the English feel superior to everyone. What I'm trying to say is that isolation leads to difference, and difference leads to hate.

Moving on, as isolation became harder to accomplish with the years, changes in language came to be via mixing. In an attempt to continue this relationship between creature evolution and language evolution, I will relate the mixing of language with cross-breeding. Well, I'd like to, but know nothing about cross-breeding and do not care to research. What I can research is the mixing of languages. By watching the fourth episode of The Story of English, I found out that southern American accents are actually evolutions of the Scottish English. This was due to the arrival of Scottish immigrants who traveled down the mountains. I guess that Scottish English and American English got along pretty well and gave birth to hillbillies. Well, not hillbillies but what comes out their mouth. That still sounds pretty unsettling and weird. A factor of evolution that I would like to see more of in language is natural selection. Why are you proud of your accent because no one understands it? In nature, you don't see white tigers showing off to their orange counter parts how they can't hunt because they're always spotted when they hide.

"The Guid Scots Tongue." The Story of English. Writ. Robert McCrum and Robert MacNeil. Dir. Vivian Ducat, Howard Reid. BBC MCML XXXVI. YouTube.

English Happy Fun Time

It's safe to say that English is a pretty universal language. If you don't know English, how are you reading this? That's pretty impressive. Anyways, the universality of this language provides a convenient way of communication that can be used as a default. This helps in breaking down the language barrier and linking many different cultures. Let me provide an example.

Disclaimer: all characters and locations used in this example are completely fictional and are in no way based on actual people.

Let's say that there is a Mexican called Jorge Bernardo who goes to a school in Colombia. Jorge has no problem communicating in this school since Colombia and Mexico both speak Spanish. However, while in this school, Jorge meets up with two Koreans: Nick and Hae. This sets a problem. In Korea, people don't speak Spanish. They speak Korean. Immediately, Jorge regrets taking choir instead of Korean back in third grade and finds himself in an awkward silence with two Koreans simply staring at him. Here is where English saves the day. Jorge remembers that this school is an American school and these Koreans must know English in order to make it all the way to high school. Jorge mans up and suddenly finds himself having an English conversation with two Koreans about quantum physics and nose bleeds. 

English is the language that can bring the world together. Some people might think that this globalization of a language would take away from the diversity of the world. I think that they are just too lazy to actually learn it. It's not like every country would speak the exact same English. Each culture would have its own accent and slang. An English Speaking World explores this by displaying the use of English in many countries such as the United States, India, and African countries. I believe that all countries should embrace English but shouldn't forget their own culture. People should accept their own mutation of the global language. Though some accents and slang might seem funny or superior, it provides that diversity that you love so goddamn much. What's that? You don't understand the Chilean's accent when they speak English? Well, try understanding them when they are speaking a different language. The first problem doesn't seem so bad now does it? Stop complaining and accept this difference. Don't think that just because you speak English differently you are superior to others. It's still the same language. Learning it is the same in every accent. Speaking with an English accent doesn't make you superior. In fact, if its not your natural accent, it has the complete opposite effect. It just makes you sound silly and makes people around you desire your silence. Instead of practicing that sorry copy of an accent, read a book or a dictionary. If you want to seem more intelligent, try using vocabulary. This method actually works.