But this power of the spoken word can be frightening; after all, silencing the masses is the most effective way of consolidating power. Such an exercise in exclusion was underway in an 18th-century Britain trying to establish a standard form of English. Defining a standard meant devaluing certain tongues and their speakers outside of the newly set linguistic norms, beyond the pale of polite, rational conversation. Could it be that the exclusion of their dialects and words from standard English had, ironically, given the masses in the Georgian England the impunity to express their grievances against authority? But above all, it is great fun and can express emotions that dictionary words just cannot capture.

Source: The Telegraph January 24, 2020 06:00 UTC