Standardization of the English Language
Standardization of the English Language
There are several important events before 1500 that when listed together show a series of steps in the struggle for English language supremacy. These steps are mainly governmental, legal and official events that pushed English usage. In
1356 The Sheriff's Court in London and Middlesex were conducted in English for the first time. When Parliament opened in 1362 the Statute of Pleading was issued declaring English as a language of the courts as well as of Parliament, but it was not until 1413 that English became the official language of the courts everywhere. Thirteen years later in 1423, Parliament records start being written in English. 1400 marks date that English is used in writing wills, a seemingly small step, but one that impacted many people and began a legacy of record keeping in English. In 1450 English became the language used in writing town laws and finally 1489 saw all statutes written in English. But it was not until 1649 that English became the language of legal documents in place of Latin.
The formal rules intended to keep the use of French in official capacities were not enough to combat the effects of the Black Death and the Hundred Years War between France and England, which both contributed greatly to the rise of
English and fall of French. By the fourteenth century, English was again known by most people, although French was not forgotten, and the people who spoke
French were generally bilingual. The Statute of Pleading made it law that
English and not French would be used in the courts. However, it needs to be emphasized that at the end of this statement, it says that after the pleadings, debates, etc. in English were finished, they should be entered and enrolled in
Latin. English became the official language of the court in 1413, but French was permitted until the eighteenth century.
More than the official bureaucratic changes in rules and law were the changes in the use of the language by the
There are several important events before 1500 that when listed together show a series of steps in the struggle for English language supremacy. These steps are mainly governmental, legal and official events that pushed English usage. In
1356 The Sheriff's Court in London and Middlesex were conducted in English for the first time. When Parliament opened in 1362 the Statute of Pleading was issued declaring English as a language of the courts as well as of Parliament, but it was not until 1413 that English became the official language of the courts everywhere. Thirteen years later in 1423, Parliament records start being written in English. 1400 marks date that English is used in writing wills, a seemingly small step, but one that impacted many people and began a legacy of record keeping in English. In 1450 English became the language used in writing town laws and finally 1489 saw all statutes written in English. But it was not until 1649 that English became the language of legal documents in place of Latin.
The formal rules intended to keep the use of French in official capacities were not enough to combat the effects of the Black Death and the Hundred Years War between France and England, which both contributed greatly to the rise of
English and fall of French. By the fourteenth century, English was again known by most people, although French was not forgotten, and the people who spoke
French were generally bilingual. The Statute of Pleading made it law that
English and not French would be used in the courts. However, it needs to be emphasized that at the end of this statement, it says that after the pleadings, debates, etc. in English were finished, they should be entered and enrolled in
Latin. English became the official language of the court in 1413, but French was permitted until the eighteenth century.
More than the official bureaucratic changes in rules and law were the changes in the use of the language by the
Bibliography: 1. Baugh, A. and Cable Thomas, A History of the English Language ( London, 1978 ) 2. Berndt, Rolf, History of the English Language ( Leipzig, 1982 ) 3. Blake, Norman, The Cambridge History of the English Language ( Cambridge, 1992 ) 4. Burnley, David, The Language of Chaucer ( London, 1989 ) 5. Pei, Mario, The Story of the English Language ( New York, 1967 ) 6. Strang, Barbara, A History of English ( London, 1970 )