‘You do know where the word ‘duh!’ comes from? You do
realise it’s an American word? I would have thought your strictly anti-colonial
sensibility in the matter of the mother tongue would have precluded any
possibility of you ever stooping to use the word ‘duh!’
But the conversation moved on and I never got back to it.
Maybe I’ll make it a topic of conversation the next time we speak. Mel became a
little more picky after she got a Masters degree in English Literature, whereas
I came up from the ranks and am probably more flexible. I quite like certain
Americanisms, including ‘duh’ which I’ve used on this blog a few times. I don’t
know of any single word in UK English which matches it for the particular
nuance it carries. I also like ‘go figure’ for its pithy brevity, and there are
more. So I use and appreciate them when appropriate.
And there’s a general point to be made here. English has
been taking words from other languages for centuries, must notably French as a
result of the Norman invasion in 1066 being
followed by rule by a French-speaking aristocracy. Even in more recent times,
expressions like fait accompli and carte blanche have become standard in
the English lexicon. (Ironically, I gather certain linguistically conservative
French people are none too pleased that the process has been reciprocal, with
certain English-isms creeping into French!)
In the end I think it comes down to the notion of purity.
There are those who feel that the introduction of American words and
expressions adulterates the virginal nature of Standard English. Does it? I
don’t think so. The introduction of new words into a language does not
disqualify the old ones; it merely enriches the overall picture. (And while I’m
on that thread, I think the same might be said of immigrants.)
And did I ever recount that incident when I was with my
naval chums trying to get into a backstreet bar in the old quarter of Quebec? We’d heard that
entrance would only be allowed if you could speak some French, and my buddies
(cowards that they all were) chose me to be the spokesperson. When the young
woman opened the wooden window behind the iron grill, I said:
La plume de ma tante
est dans le jardin de mon oncle.
It was all I could think of in that nervous moment, but it
worked. The young woman smiled in that particularly Gallic way which is their
hallmark and opened the door. Entente was thus established and my attitude to
linguistic diversity was set free forever.
Edited to add. 27/8/22
Where did I get 'dans le jardin' from? Only recently I learned that the correct form is 'sur le bureau' (which makes rather more sense, fatuous as the whole exercise is anyway.) I suspect my French teacher in high school must have mis-taught us. Mr Hartley, you're fired.
2 comments:
This exact topic has been on the forefront of my mind the last few days, regarding Irish. I picked up a new student who is intimidated by dialect and worried about Béarlachas (English-Irish, applied more dangerously to structure / grammar rather than simple loan-words, which is a big concern in Irish speaking communities). Regardless of anyone's opinion, language is truly more like a living organism; constantly changing, evolving, expanding and contracting. It directly reflects the condition of its speakers. In the case of Irish, it's survival depends, at least a little, on this modernization / evolution.
I would think that in the case of English though it can enrich the language, or at least provide a space for it - it being the lingua franca of the western world, well institutionalized and guarded, and not under much threat of decay. I do, however, think "internet" or "text" speak is a slippery slope; I've seen multiple once well-spoken friends fall into the black hole habit of shortcut language at the expensive of meaningful communication. To each their own, ultimately, but constantly hearing "lol" and its counterparts in spoken speech is a real drag.
I didn't know that about Irish. I was once told that the reason for the difference between Irish and Scottish Gaelic is that the Scottish form is older (more 'original') since its habitual use died out long ago. Irish, or so I was told, remained the first language in many parts of Ireland and so evolved naturally through the centuries, rather as modern English evolved from the Middle English of Chaucer. But now it seems that the current change is more radical.
And I agree about internet and text speak. One of my most hated is OMG! which is now appearing on store marketing literature to replace the awful, but at least complete, 'Wow.' I don't mind text and internet speech as long as people are consciously selective. If somebody wants to use 'ur' in a text message, but goes back to 'your' or 'you're' (as appropriate, of course) in a more formal setting, I think it's OK. What concerns me is that people are beginning to think that 'ur' is the correct spelling, and even those who don't have lost track of the difference between your and you're.
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