There is a strange idea around that English is somehow "easy", and that most people on Earth speak it, or at least "get by", which is apparently all you need in our globalised world of communication...
Because of historical events, it is true that English has spread enormously, aided by the British Empire followed by post-war American global domination. The downside to this is a certain cultural hegemony, a sort of globish, which helps trade and easy travel perhaps, but there must surely be more to communication, to the infinite richness of English, than trade, profit and mere usefulness.
English is above all beautiful, by its very nature. And certainly not easy! The great writers have risen to the challenge of English, and so in our way should we. It has its rules, its quirks and eccentricities. It has its nature, which has shifted over the centuries, and continues to shift. I think we need to live closely with its nature, "fit into it", like a pair of shoes, let it tell us what is best.
What makes for "good English"?
For your perusal, I offer these pages...Wonderfully dated in many ways, they come from the brothers H. W. Fowler and F. G. Fowler, famous for their Dictionary of Modern English Usage, which I strongly recommend both in its original form, for the insights it provides into how English was used over a hundred years ago, and its very useful modern updated editions. These pages (click on the link below) come from (wait for it..., this shows how old it is) The King's English. Which is a wonderful title! Well, I think so.
Here is a taster of how dated it can get:
"Every one has been told at school how telegram ought to be telegrapheme; but by this time we have long ceased to mourn for the extra syllable, and begun seriously to consider whether the further shortening into wire has not been resisted as long as honour demands."
Isn't that wonderful?
But no, this book is not just about old-style eccentricities. Firstly it is written with a lot of good humour, it's fun, funny and lively; these men had real wit and culture, and sensitivity to nuance. The five "headings" below, on how to write, contain much wisdom and good sense, and remain flexible, for all that. For example, it has often been said (Churchill and Tolkien come to mind) that we should prefer the Saxon word to the Latin. Yes, I think this is a good rule of thumb. But it is not always advisable, or possible, as the Fowlers demonstrate.
Any feedback and comments are welcome, of course, and I can scan more pages!
Click here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fs6iqBv4xSiCGNNN0Xrco18GXOpjqqfk/view?usp=sharing
"Every one has been told at school how telegram ought to be telegrapheme; but by this time we have long ceased to mourn for the extra syllable, and begun seriously to consider whether the further shortening into wire has not been resisted as long as honour demands."
Isn't that wonderful?
But no, this book is not just about old-style eccentricities. Firstly it is written with a lot of good humour, it's fun, funny and lively; these men had real wit and culture, and sensitivity to nuance. The five "headings" below, on how to write, contain much wisdom and good sense, and remain flexible, for all that. For example, it has often been said (Churchill and Tolkien come to mind) that we should prefer the Saxon word to the Latin. Yes, I think this is a good rule of thumb. But it is not always advisable, or possible, as the Fowlers demonstrate.
Any feedback and comments are welcome, of course, and I can scan more pages!
Click here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fs6iqBv4xSiCGNNN0Xrco18GXOpjqqfk/view?usp=sharing
Absolutely brilliant, delightful, and exquisitely uproarious.
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