Elizabethan Dialect

Greetings,

The final part of the formal investigation of the language consists of looking at the concept of dialect with regard to Elizabethan English. While this subject is more often associated with Asian languages and the differences in dialect, it also applies very much in the investigation of Western languages as well.

Introduction

            When the discussion of dialects comes up it is often assumed that such a discussion is most appropriate for eastern languages, often with a focus on the Chinese, however it is important to note that English has its own dialects. This is the case even if the language differences are not as dramatic. The issue of dialects even is present when discussing the language from an earlier period. When discussing Elizabethan English it is important to discuss dialect as this aspect of the language is one of the developments of the language which made the language what it was.

            An overview of the dialects and concepts of dialects in Elizabethan English illustrates the differences in the language. This will present a language which is not the same all throughout the area in which English was spoken, but that there were variations in the language. The second part of the language focuses on the London dialect of Elizabethan English and how it spread and became the dominant dialect of the language and thus the foundation upon which the modern language is based.

Overview

“Alongside colourless English, there is evidence for other kinds of usage restricted to particular genres or even particular authors; and in the early modern English period there is evidence that spelling took on ideological significance.” (Mugglestone, 2006:135)

            Mugglestone (2006) is highlighting the fact that even within a particular dialect there were variations in the language depending on the author and also the audience. When examining a dialect it is important that this is a generalisation of the common elements of a language used in a particular geographic area. Indeed the concept of a dialect even belongs to the Elizabethan period, “dialect, referring to a kind of language dates from 1577, according to the OED.” (Mugglestone, 2006:214).

            This concept of dialect is important as it acknowledges the presence of variations in the language depending on geographical area and the people found within this geographical area. The differences in language are one argument that it is claimed that English as a single concept is inaccurate, “Renaissance English was ‘broken’ or divided by divergent, local forms” (Mugglestone, 2006:213). The fact that these divergent forms of the language had similar bases to the language and many common areas defines them as a single language.

            Not only could the language and the dialects be divided by the geographical area but also, especially in this period, by religion. In the sixteenth century in Scotland, with regard to the Bible, the Catholics use Older Scots, while the Protestants use the Anglicized version in English vernacular (Mugglestone, 2006:136). The significance of the audience is clearly apparent in this particular instance; the Catholics would have wanted to keep with the traditional language while the Protestants would have wanted the newer language associated not only with the new religion but also nationalistic toward both.

Penetration of Dialect

            The examination of the penetration of a dialect presents how the particular dialect of a language spread and often displaced the older dialects present. In the case of English this was also a spread based on class, the upper classes had the most modern language and this filtered to lower classes, the origin London (South England) and this then spread outward (Mugglestone, 2006:141). This is in no way and instantaneous process, but takes an extended period of time.

            The time of Shakespeare could be seen as the time in which English and the dominant dialect of the time from London should have been the time of its greatest expansion, but this is not actually the case, “language of England and lowland Scotland, but it had barely penetrated into Wales, Ireland, and the Scottish Highlands and islands” (Bryson, 2009:58). What should be noted is that while the dialect took time to spread and replace other dialects, the strength of the London Dialect was such that it would eventually dominate.

“George Puttenham noted that the English of London stretched not much more than sixty miles from the city [London]. But its influence was growing all the time.” (Bryson, 2009:52)

            London was very cosmopolitan in the Elizabethan period and was modernising all of the time. This was not just with regard to science, but also in fashion and other areas as well, including the language. As new ideas were introduced so the language had to change. The strength of this modernisation process also affected the language. The English of London went from a medieval to a modern language in a short space of time (Bryson, 2009:52). This modernisation process in the language greatly assisted its expansion.

Conclusion

            The dialect of a language is an important consideration regardless of its nationality or age. This becomes even more important for the researcher investigating the language and looking for specifics. The language of the Elizabethan period cannot be counted as being one universal language, but must take into account the dialects of the period.

            The dialect of a language affects all the important parts of the language and is not merely restricted to pronunciation and spelling of words in the language. The dialect can also affect grammar and even punctuation. In the examination of a language these effects need to be taken into account in order to attain a clear idea of the language, especially if the language is to be understood properly.
            The London Dialect or the Southern Dialect of Elizabethan English is the one which would come to dominate. In researching the language it is important that documents which are used to investigate the language not only come from the correct time period but also the same dialect. For a single author this is not so much of a problem, but over various authors this can have an effect on understanding. Changes in the meaning of words due to dialect can greatly change the meaning expressed by author or interpreted by the reader.

Bibliography

Bryson, B. (2009) Mother Tongue: The Story of the English Language, Penguin Books Ltd, London, UK

Mugglestone, L. (ed) (2006) The Oxford History of English, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK