ENG6362S: Post-1800 Encyclopedia article brainstorming

  1. The rise of English (vs French) as a world language (suggested by Dane).
  2. The influence of French on the culinary register (Zach).
  3. The cultural significance and linguistic influence of Latin (Andrea).
  4. The implications of English as a global language, with specific reference to EFL issues (Rebecca)
  5. A synchronic study of the prestige of English (and myths about the prestige of English -- Cathy Davidson has pointed out that it's often the language of drug dealing in e.g. Hong Kong films ...) (suggested by Dane).
  6. The influence of English on other languages and issues raised by this (suggested by Cheratra).
  7. Something that covers variation in the form of adverbs like real/ly good (suggested by Andrea): adverbs in English? prescriptivism? variation between American and Canadian English?
  8. English-based pidgins and creoles.
  9. The origin of AAVE: creole or English dialect? (Tagliamonte and other recent books/essays).
  10. Something about myths about English (receptiveness to loanwords = oppression of donor cultures? -- check out intersection of Bailey 1991 and Pennycook's books).
  11. Something about (how did Jennifer put it) the metanarratives of the history of English: the 19thc is very rich for this. (Jennifer)
  12. Something about Canadian English (IS there really a Canadian English? -- Jaan Lilles' article in English Today...; use Jack Chambers' Regional Dialectology stuff) (Dane)
  13. The influence of a non-European language on English (Chinese, Japanese, indigenous languages of Africa, India, North America).
  14. The influence of African languages on a variety or varieties of English (Tim)
  15. The spelling of non-European place names (Peking/Beijing, that sort of thing) -- might need to be expanded (spelling of loanwords?).
  16. The exploitation by a literary author of linguistic variation (e.g. Wordsworth and native/latinate diction: stuff by Christopher Ricks; Thomas Hardy).
  17. Studies of ethnic varieties of English and/or issues raised by ethnic varieties of English (suggested by Rebecca).
  18. The literary use of non-standard varieties (e.g. "Nation language", Indian mesolect.
  19. Blend words. (Please include advertising/product names, etc.?)
  20. Acronyms!
  21. The Plain English movement (Dale)
  22. Something about the influence of industry on the English language (trade names like Kleenex/xerox -- all those odd spellings!; ownership of words; lower-case letters...)
  23. The influence of e-mail on the language of e-mail and on English generally (Brad).
  24. Issues in the teaching of English as a foreign language, a synchronic survey (combination of people's suggestions?).
  25. Issues raised by biblical translation post-1800 (suggested by Andrea).
  26. Political correctness: the effects on PDE of the inclusive language debate (suggested by Cheratra). And/or the mechanisms of enforcement of inclusive language?
  27. Reclamation of loaded words (fag, nigger, etc.) (suggested by Cheratra).