Questions and answers on “Crowley” text:

1. What does elocution mean?

An expert manner of speaking involving control of voice and gesture

2. What do polyglossia and monoglossia mean?

Polyglossia refers to the coexistence between multiple languages in the same area, and monoglossia is the predominance of one language in an area.

3. What kind of English does Puttenham recommend?

The natural, pure and most usual of a country- the language of the courts.

4. What does copious mean?

Large in number or quantity (especially of discourse).

5. What does trope mean?

Language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense.

6. Why does Crowley call the standardization process a war?

The linkage of language and war was very common trope in the 18th C. “Britain is a series of wars of words”.

7. What does encomium mean?

A formal expression of praise.

8. Who wrote the proposal for correcting, improving and ascertaining the English tongue?

Jonathan Swift.

9. Do Johnson and Swift agree that the English language has degenerated?

Yes. Johnson stated that “tongues, like governments, have a natural tendency to degeneration”, and Swift spoke of the need for a reform in the language.

10. Swift proposes an academy. Who else?

Daniel Defoe.

11. Why were the Whigs against an academy?

They saw the academy as a link with France, and this with the Stuart claimants to the monarchy.

12. What does Sheridan mean by the genius of the people?

The metaphysical constitution and spirit of the British people.

13. What reason does Swift give for the decay of Latin?

The totalitarian power, which meant that there was no need for orators.

14. What does “suffer” mean?

Feel pain or be in pain.

15. Who was the first person to make the link between language and nation?

Herder.

16. What was Sheridan´s solution to the problem of divergence in pronunciation?

Teaching priests standard English.

17. How did several authors describe other European languages?

Peyton said that English took the “good properties” from other languages, and therefore was superior to them. Lemon spoke about French being flimsy, Italian being neat and Spanish being grave, for example.

18. In which novel did Defoe capture colonial fantasy?

In Robinson Crusoe.

19. Locke thought that learning Latin was not necessary for:

Tradesmen.

20. How did learning standard English help to empower people?

It was the language used as a vehicle of economic, social and political life.

21. What kind of English is proper?

The one found in upper and middle ranks.

22. How was the inculcation of linguistic patterns carried out with middle-class children?

By rewarding and punishing good or bad use of orthographic and semantic skills.

23. What was the purpose of training women linguistically in the 18th C. according to Crowley?

To assure that they teach male offspring properly and act as a satisfactory companion to males in the public sphere.

24. Why did Locke warn against children talking to servants?

He said that they would pick up bad speaking habits from them.

25. What was the difference between the mistakes made by the working classes and those made by the Gentry according to Sheridan?

The working classes make structural mistakes, whereas the Gentry generally make occasional mistakes.