Jonathan Swift

1
Jonathan Swift

• And the idea for an English language academy

2
Biography

• November 30th 1667 in Dublin, Ireland
• 19. October 1745 in Dublin, Ireland
• 1682 entered the University of Dublin and later
  the University of Oxford
• 1695 became a priest of the Anglican Church
• A Proposal for Correcting, Improving and
  Ascertaining the English Tongue" (1712)
• Gulliver's Travels (1726)
• A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of
  poor People in Ireland from being a Burden to
  their Parents or Country, and for making them
  beneficial to the Public (1729)

3
The Spirit of his Time

• Characteristics of the 18th century philosophy
• strong sense of order and regulation
• the desire for system and regularity
• Language
• Latin was seen as the role model language
• The grammar of the English language became
• an individual field of study
• ? it was the desire of the 18th century to give
  the English language a polished, rational and
  permanent form.

4
His Vision

• I see no absolute necessity why any language
  should be perpetually changing
• and if it were once refined to a certain
  standard, perhaps there might be ways found out
  to fix it forever or at least till we are
  invaded and made a conquest by some other state

5
His Vision

• Remedying what he named the defects of the
  vulgar language
• - too many monosyllables
• ? clippings mob (mobile)
• - verb endings clippd
• - newly coined words (fashion words)
• The fixing and ascertaining of the English
  language after the cleansing process was
  finished

6
Ascertain? Why?

• Swifts reasons
• English would not be regarded as barbarous
  anymore (compared to Latin)
• Fear of losing his status of immortality as a
  writer
• How then shall any manbe able to undertake such
  work with spirit and cheerfulness, when he
  considers that he will be read with pleasure but
  a very few years and in an age or two shall
  hardly be understood without an
  interpreter?...This is like employing an
  excellent statuary to work upon mouldering
  stone.

7
Ascertain? How?

• Put the cleansed language into laws.
• Language after that may be extended but not under
  change of what had previously been named valid.

newly added words, ascertained
newly added words, ascertained
ascertained state of language to begin with
this part of the language can not
alter, affect or change this part of the
language in any which way
8
Ascertain? Who?

• Compilation of the academy
• - a free judicious choice should be made of
  such persons, as are generally allowed to be
  best qualified for such a work, without any
  regard to quality, party or posession.
• Tasks of the academy
• - Fix the language on rule
• - Work with the example of the French, to
  avoid their mistakes

9
Role Models France and Italy

• Italy Accademia della Crusca founded in 1582
• Achievements
• - Dictionary published 1612
• France Lacadémie Francaise founded in 1635 by
  Cardinal Richelieu
• Achievements
• - Dictionary published 1694 (1st ed.)

10
Examples for successful language ascertainment?

• Authorised Version of the Bible (1611)
• Book of Common Prayer (1662)
• Logical error
• standard texts vs. standardized language

11
Supporters and Opponents

• Earlier Supporters of the idea of an academy
• - Royal Society/John Dryden 1664
• - Daniel Defoe 1697
• Opponent Sir John Oldmixon
• - against Swift as a person rather than
  against
• the idea of an academy
• - more out of political motives

12
Letter to the Lord High Treasurer

• 22nd Feb 1712
• Money (e.g. the expense for a large room, where
  the society should meet.)
• Royal Support
• To assure the Treasurers instruction and
  protection for the society

13
Letter to the Lord High Treasurer

• There is no example in history of any minister
  who in so short a time hath performed so many
  great things and overcome many great
  difficulties.
• I must be so plain as to tell Your Lordship
  that if You will not take some care to settle our
  languageI cannot promise that Your memory shall
  be preserved above a hundred years further than
  by imperfect transition.
• However, I must venture to affirm, that if
  Genius and Learning be not encouraged under Your
  Lordships administration, You are the most
  inexcusable person alive.

14
Successor not!

• Measures for the foundation of an academy had
  already been taken by the Lord High Treasurer
• Mainly due to Queen Annes death (1714) the
  academy never came to be
• Further attempts of refining the language were
  tried directly through the public

15
Sources

• A Proposal for Correcting, Improving and
• Ascertaining the English Tongue, Jonathan
  Swift, 1712, London
• A.C. Baugh/ T. Cable The Appeal to Authority
  in A History of the English Language, 3rd ed.
  1983, London u.a., Rutledge Kegan Paul
• www.wikipedia.de
• www.wikipedia.com
• http//www.bookforum.com/sheidlower.html