The call for immigrants to learn ‘proper’ English is commonly heard from natives wanting to help preserve their country’s linguistic heritage. But what is proper English? The language of English is rich in borrowed words and foreign phrases, and the language continues to grow and evolve thanks largely to the influx of foreign words brought over by immigrants. This leads us to ask, with such a mingling of languages in the world today, can a ‘proper’ language ever really exist?
The Linguistic Heritage of English
Looking into the history of the English language, some of the oldest English words are the days of the week, named after the sun and the moon and some Germanic gods, with Saturday being named so after Saturn, a Roman god.
Much of the English language comes from Latin but we also throw in a dose of French, Arabic, Spanish and Dutch and add to the mix a helping of Greek, Italian, Japanese and Gaelic to name but a few of the rich languages finding their way into the English language dictionary.
English borrows words from around 350 other languages and becomes all the more exciting and descriptive because of it. It is not clear exactly what ‘proper’ English is as this is a language which evolves to embrace new phrases and words over the years.
Each year brings with it new English slang words, with different phrases becoming popular in different cities of the country. Some slang phrases are introduced from immigrant populations and, as with society in general, a country’s native language can be all the richer for its foreign influences.
With So Many Borrowed Words – What is Proper English?
Some people with English as their native tongue worry that proper English is being watered down or changed from how it ‘should’ be. But who can say what proper English should sound like? The truth is that English is a hybrid language with a rich heritage of borrowed words and foreign influences.
Ironically, the very words English natives can be worried about losing are often words derived from other languages.
As people travel more widely and emigration and immigration becomes more and more common, the world’s languages will intermingle and inevitably produce more weird and wonderful linguistic changes, not only for English but for all languages.
Communiucation Problems
The issue of not being able to communicate in English is a different issue altogether. This can be a problem for immigrant communities and for the host nation.
But the rich additions to the language that a country inevitably acquires from an immigrant community can surely only have a positive effect on the native language.
English Influence on Other Languages
The boot can also be well and truly on the other linguistic foot, as English itself has influenced many other languages. The French enjoy the ‘weekend’ as much we do and the Spanish enjoy a game of ‘golf’ and a ‘sandwich‘.
Business words are particularly common in other languages, with the English word ‘marketing’ used in many other countries.
In fact, with so much borrowing going on and all these constant changes and new slang, can a ‘proper’ language ever exist at all?
Share your thoughts
What do you think about borrowed words and their effect on a language?
Can a ‘proper’ language ever really exist?
Does increased worldwide travel mean that all languages will affect others and languages will always intermingle?
