For centuries, English has been polished, prodded and policed. But it was the late 18th and early 19th centuries that mark the true golden age of linguistic control, when the urge to perfect and protect the language reached its height. It was also the time when English began to be written about in earnest and complained about in earnest as well. This talk explores the lively industry of late modern grammarians and commentators who identified “errors” in words and sounds that had long been part of everyday speech. Professor Kate Burridge will reveal how these shifting judgements point to a persistent tension: attempts to fix the language are continually undercut by the very dynamism they seek to contain.
Pick up from 192 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne.
