Standardisation of Language

The introduction of Johnson's Dictionary in 1755 created a almost standardisation of the English language. People sought to 'fix' the English language and define what is 'correct', this was Johnson's primary goal at first when writing the dictionary but by the end realised that English is constantly changing by nature and that the best he could do is record the language of the day rather than form it. As well as Johnson's dictionary attempting to create a standardisation in English, Robert Lowth also created a book called 'A Short Introduction to English Grammar' which was published in 1765. This book was heavily inspired by the grammar used in Latin and as such Lowth admitted that it was problematic and he condemned "forcing the English under the rules of a foreign Language".


In modern society, the idea of standardising the English language is the cause of many debates, particularly between people with prescriptive and descriptive attitudes. Prescriptivists believe that the English language should be standardised and that the adaptation and change of language shouldn't be encouraged. While descriptivists believe that language is as used by the speaker and that an idea of standard English is impossible as language is ever changing. Descriptivists believe that the use of standardising English will remove some uniqueness in a person and that dialects are beneficial to a society. Prescriptivists see the use of a standard English as being uniform and allowing texts to be read and understood with everyone. Some believe that the use of standard English should be a addition to their current repertoire and should be used in formal situations, this allows people to keep their dialectal individuality while also understanding and being able to follow a standardised English.


Bibliographyhttps://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/elltankw/history/standardisation/c.htm
http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/dic/johnson/1755johnsonsdictionary.html
http://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item126709.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lowth#Notes
http://grammar.about.com/od/basicsentencegrammar/f/descpresgrammar.htm
https://languagedebates.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/jessica-holmes-discusses-the-pros-and-cons-of-using-standard-english-in-education/

The etymology and the stages of semantic development of the word 'gay'

Definitions of the word gay:-(of a person, especially a man) homosexual-light-hearted and carefree-brightly coloured; showy-foolish, stupid, or unimpressive

In todays' English the term 'gay' typically refers to a homosexual person but it was first coined to mean "full of joy" or "wanton" from the Old French word 'gai' which meant "joyful, pleasant, happy". The word 'gay' had always had a level of promiscuity surrounding it and brothels came to be known as 'a gay house', this gave the word 'gay' a idea of immorality and addiction. The term 'going gay' also meant to adopt a hedonistic lifestyle.

The first appearance in the English language of the word in in a poem titled 'Blow, Northerne Wind" which reads:

"She is precious in day

gracious, stout, and gay,

gentle, jolly as the jay"

The slang term for 'gay' meaning homosexual can be tracked back to earlier psychological writings of the 1940s. It can be tracked back further to the 1890s with the term 'gay cat' meaning 'young hobo'. These 'gay cats' (typically male) would follow more experienced hobos for protection and instruction typically in exchange for sexual favours. It mainly gained popularity for meaning 'homosexual' in the 1950s and since then has been adapted into other language such as Japanese, Swedish and Dutch to mean the same thing.

On early use of the word 'gay' to mean homosexual is found in the song "Gay Young Clerk in the Dry Goods Store" by female impersonator Will S. Hays in 1868 which says, "He’s a handsome man and he’s proud and poor, / This gay young clerk in the Dry-Goods Store". The lyrics so explicitly link to homosexuality but when sung by a man in drag it can be interpreted this way.

The first obvious use of the word gay to mean homosexual is from the 1929 play 'Bitter Sweet' in the song 'Green Carnation' with the lyrics:

"Pretty boys, witty boys, You may sneer

At our disintegration.

Haughty boys, naughty boys,

Dear, dear, dear!

Swooning with affectation...

And as we are the reason

For the “Nineties” being gay,

We all wear a green carnation."

The penultimate line refers to how the 1890s were called 'the gay nineties'.

Recently the term 'gay' has  become much less formal and is being linked to meaning "stupid" or "unimpressive" in the 2000s. This could be because terms meaning to be ‘gay’ have been seen as degrading previously using 'bender' and 'poofter' as they were considered to be more offensive than the neutral 'gay'. It was typically used by heterosexual people to single out someone in the group as being different, even when they weren't. The term 'gay' has lost its sexual meaning to younger boys who seem to use it to mean 'lame' and they seem to use it in situations which sexuality is irrelevant.

Terms that came from 'gay' are such words as 'gaydar' which means to be able to sense someone else's sexuality. This can also be from an idea of a stereotypical ‘gay’ person and how someone’s looks can affect their sexuality. This is typically seen as a negative thing in a 21^st century society. It is also a blend word between ‘gay’ and ‘radar’.