The Emergence of Standard English - 9780813108520

The University Press of Kentucky

The Emergence of Standard EnglishAuthor(s): John H. Fisher\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: The University Press of Kentucky, United States\nImprint: The University Press of Kentucky\nISBN-13: 9780813108520, 978-0813108520\nSynopsis\nLanguage scholars have traditionally agreed that the development of the English language was largely unplanned. John H. Fisher challenges this view, demonstrating that the standardization of writing and pronunciation was, and still is, made under the control of political and intellectual forces.\n\nIn these essays Fisher chronicles his gradual realization that Standard English was not a popular evolution at all but was the direct result of political decisions made by the Lancastrian administrations of Henry IV and Henry V. To achieve standardization and acceptance of the vernacular, these kings turned to their Chancery scribes, who were responsible for writing and copying legal and royal documents.\n\nChaucer, a relative of the king, began to be labeled by.