Quote about language

[beccaelizabeth]

In the nineteenth century, the notion of 'correct', 'good', or 'pure' English became something of an obsession for many literary critics, philosophers, and educationalists. The result of this anxiety was teh invention of an ideal form of the English language, covering aspects of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and so on, but also importantly linked to ways of acting, kindsof belief, and systems of value. Such an ideal was needed to support Britain's self-image as a great industrial and imperial power, and to measure various kinds of linguistic deviance. The fact that this ideal or 'standard' English was an invention did not appear to worry those who used it to condemn linguistic 'errors' made by the vast majority of the British population.

Storry, M, British Cultural Identities 2nd Edition, Routledge 2002, p213