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English has developed from a group of dialects to the national language of various modern states. In order to fulfil the functions required of such a language English originally had to be transformed (or ‘made fit') in the process of standardisation. This took place during the period spanning the 15th to the 18th century, during which English acquired a greater variety of linguistic means for expression, became more "regular", and expanded into domains of use previously dominated by Latin or French (e.g. science, law). We will look at how these processes took place and how speakers came to regard English as a prestigious language. With the transportation of English to new places, such as the USA or Australia, the question of one standard vs. various standards arose. Thus, we will also be looking at how new, separate standards have been or are being established. |
