The Language Mavens

Hannah HeinrichsenLanguage and Culture

Prof. R. HickeySS06

Hauptstudium LN

Contents

1. Rules

2. “Correct English“

3. Language Mavens3.1 Types of Mavens

3.2 History of the Mavens

4. Standard English vs. Non Standard English

5. Conclusion

6. References

1. Rules

Prescriptive rules: prescribe how one „ought“ to talk

Descriptive rules: describe how people do talk

Fundamental rules: create sentences, define the infinitives and list the words…

2. „Correct English“

What is “correct English”? Who tells us so?

no English language Academy no Founding Fathers at some English

Language Constitution Conference at the beginning

2. „Correct English“

Legislators of “correct English”: network of copy-editors dictionary usage panellists style manual and handbook writers English teachers Essayists Columnists pundits

3. The Language Mavens

Maven from a Yiddish word meaning expert

make prescriptive rules or keep them alive

3.1 Types of Mavens

1. The Wordwatcher

2. The Jeremiah

3. The Sage

4. The Entertainer

3.1 Types of Mavens

1. The Wordwatcher

Wordwatchers train their binoculars on the especially capricious, eccentric, and poorly documented words and idioms that get sighed from time to time

3.1 Types of Mavens

2. The Jeremiah

Jeremiahs express their bitter laments and righteous prophecies of doom

3.1 Types of Mavens

3. The Entertainer

The entertainer shows off his collection of palindromes, puns, anagrams, rebuses, malapropisms, Goldwysms, eponyms, sesquipedalian, howlers, and bloopers.

3.1 Types of Mavens

4. The Sage

The sages are known for taking a moderate, common-sense approach to matters of usage, and they tease their victims with wit rather than savaging them with invective

3.2 History of the Language Mavens

18th century: London political and financial centre of

England England centre of a powerful empire

→ London dialect suddenly became an important world language

→ Unprecedented social mobility for anyone who desired education

→ demand for handbooks and style manuals→ Competition: manuals tried to outdo one another by

including greater numbers of increasingly fastidious rules that no refined person could afford to ignore

4. Standard vs. Non Standard

The American Language (H.L. Mencken): dialect of English spoken throughout the

country didn’t become the standard of government and

education the language maven claims that non-standard

American English is not just different but less sophisticated and logical

4. Standard vs. Non Standard

e.g.: the notorious double negative Non Standard English:“I can’t get no

satisfaction.” The two negatives cancel each other out

“I can’t get no satisfaction.” = “I am satisfied.”

Standard English: “I can’t get any satisfaction”

4. Standard vs. Non Standard

Logical grammatical errors: Everyone returned to their seats.

Everyone means every one, singular subject which may not serve as the antecedent of a plural pronoun like them

Everyone returned to his seat.

4. Standard vs. Non Standard

Logical grammatical errors: If anyone calls, tell them I can’t come to the

phone.

Anyone means any one, singular subject which may not serve as the antecedent of a plural pronoun like them

If anyone calls, tell him I can’t come to the phone.

4. Standard vs. Non Standard

Further Errors: Hopefully, the treaty will pass.

Mavens say, it should be used only when the sentence refers to a person who is doing something in a hopeful manner

Mavens’ suggestions: It is hoped that the treaty will pass.

If hopes are realized, the treaty will pass.

4. Standard vs. Non Standard

2 kinds of adverbs: “verb phrase” adverbs, e.g. carefully refer to

the actor

“noun phrase” adverbs, e.g. frankly indicate the attitude of the speaker toward the content of the sentence

some other sentence adverbs:

accordingly curiously oddly admittedly generally honestly

5. Conclusion

The whole presentation is based on Steven Pinker‘s book "The Language instinct.“ In his chapter about the language Mavens it becomes obvious that not all rules the Mavens prescribe make sense, nor are they useful.

6. References

Steven Pinker; The Language Instinct: The New Science of Language and Mind, Penguin 1994