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- For the '80s pop band, see Modern English (band).
Modern English is the term used for the contemporary use of the English language. In terms of historical linguistics, it covers the English language after the Middle English period; that is, roughly, after the Great Vowel Shift, which was largely concluded after 1550.
Despite some differences in vocabulary, material from the early 17th century, such as the works of William Shakespeare and the King James Bible, is considered to be in Modern English, or more specifically, they are referred to as Early Modern English, and most people who are fluent in the English of the early 21st century believe they can read these books with little difficulty.
Modern English has a large number of dialects, spoken in diverse countries throughout the world. Most of these, however, are mutually comprehensible. This includes American English, Australian English, British English, Canadian English, Caribbean English, Hiberno-English, Indian English, New Zealand English and South African English. These dialects may be met in different contexts, for example the stereotypical villain in some American movies has a British accent, and many British pop singers (and some Australian pop singers) sing in an American accent.
According to Ethnologue, there are over 508 million speakers of English as a first or second language as of 1999, a number dwarfed only by Chinese in terms of the number of speakers. However, Chinese has a smaller geographical range: it is spoken primarily in mainland China and Taiwan, and by a sizable immigrant community in North America. In contrast, English is spoken in a vast number of territories, including Britain, Canada, the United States of America, Australia, India and Southern Africa. Its large number of speakers, plus its worldwide presence, have made English a common language for use in such diverse applications as controlling airplanes, developing software, conducting international diplomacy, and business relations.
Outline of changes in Modern English
The following is an outline of the major changes in Modern English compared to its previous form (Middle English). Note, however, that these are generalizations, and some of these may not be true for specific dialects:
Phonology
See the sound changes c.1600-1725 and sound changes c.1725-1900 sections of the Phonological history of the English language page.Syntax
- disuse of the T-V distinction (thou, etc).
- use of auxiliary verbs becomes mandatory in interrogative sentences.
- rise and fall of prescriptive grammarians.
- (North America, after 1800): Noah Webster and spelling reform.
- influence of Strunk and White, USA Today on prose styles.
Influences on Modern English
Early Modern English lacked uniformity in spelling, but Samuel Johnson's dictionary, published in 1755 in England, was influential in establishing a standard form of spelling. Noah Webster did the same in America, publishing his dictionary in 1828. Webster's dictionary preferred simpler and more modern spelling, whereas Johnson was more conservative, preferring older spellings which reflected the origins of words rather than pronunciation. Some words from Webster's original dictionary were not adopted, despite these simpler and often more practical spellings. One example of this type of word is tung. It was to replace the English word "tongue." However, the word never caught on. Public education increased literacy, and more people had access to books (and therefore to a standard language) with the spread of public libraries in the 19th century. Many words entered English from other languages, as a result of contact with other cultures through trade and settlement, and the migration of large numbers of people to the United States from other countries. World War I and World War II threw together people from different backgrounds, and the greater social mobility afterwards helped to lessen the differences between social accents, at least in the UK. The development of radio broadcasting in the early 20th century familiarised the population with accents and vocabulary from outside their own localities, often for the first time, and this phenomenon continued with film and television.
History of Modern English
Modern English began in England during the Elizabethan era which is also around the time of the great poet William Shakespeare.
English was adopted in regions around the world, such as United States, India, and Australia, through colonization by the British Empire. So as Great Britain began colonizing America, Asia, and Africa, the English language and other customs and ideas spread around the world. This is considered an aspect of the Columbian exchange.
See also
External links
"Modern English"