The English language: It's only words

Observer

24-05-2025

Learning English is compulsory in Oman and I believe rightly so. It is the unrivaled global language in the world of business, commerce and finance; and has become the most effective because it is widely used as the 'lingua franca,' the chosen language of business, travel and international politics and mediation.
Of course, more people speak Mandarin, or one of its many close variations, than any other language, with 1.3 billion speakers of the native language of China. But it is not a language that has spread widely, as it is complex, being a 'tonal' language.
This means that the tone of the user may identify the same 'word' differently. For example, 'ma' may mean, among other words, 'horse' or 'mother' among its five tonal iterations. You wouldn't want to get that wrong, would you? Especially where Mothers-in-Law are concerned.
Surprisingly, nearly half a billion people worldwide speak different versions of Spanish, not just in its home country, but in large parts of Central and South America, Africa and Europe. It too has several linguistic iterations, with Andalusian, Catalan, Castilian, Canarian, Mexican, Caribbean and Colombian among those, all identifying their regional origins.
However, while the Spanish did exert global dominance during the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, they were severe invaders, with their 'foot very much on the throat,' so engendered significant social and linguistic antagonism.
By comparison, English has around 400 million native speakers in its global catchment today. Apart from the spelling differences engendered across the English/American divide, these are genuinely identified only by regional accents.
These are evident even in the United Kingdom, where each of the four kingdoms has their own distinctive versions based on their original, now rarely used native languages, but uniquely accented. Compared to the Spanish, the English did seek to win hearts and minds, to develop societies and relationships through their Empire building and that is probably why their language rose to the top.
The so-called 'Queen's English' provides the model for all current teaching and learning across the globe. It is relatively new as a linguistic categorisation and takes its inspiration from the English nobility and royalty, who saw themselves as the standard bearers for what was further known as 'Received Pronunciation,' or RP, which was an indication of the privilege that commoners should have felt in being able to use the same accent and style in speech as their so-called 'betters.'
The first identified use of 'posh speech' historically was during the late 19th century in the boarding schools of the upper crust of society, with a handbook for teachers in such establishments advising that, "It is the business of educated people to speak so that no one may be able to tell in what county their childhood was passed (Burrell, 1891)." It is defined by the Oxford Dictionary hierarchy as "the standard accent of English as spoken in the South of England" and was identified by Tom McArthur in 2002 as 'the accent of those with power, money and influence,' noting that while it may be perceived negatively, being undeserved, or accidental, it signposted the British Empire as a bastion of privilege and class; and symbolic of the southern region's London-based political power in Britain.
English is acknowledged as Saxon but was hugely influenced by the Viking raiders who pillaged mercilessly during the 8th to the 11th centuries. The Irish have their own historic Irish Gaelic, which is remarkably categorised as an Indo-European language with significant Indian continent and specifically Iranian regional influences. Who knew? Scotland has its Scots Gaelic, phonologically enhanced by Dutch, French and Latin influences prior to the 14th century. The Welsh language, Celtic, has British and European, specifically German, Roman and even Polish, historical footnotes.
Further differences in accent are noted across the UK, with the 'Geordies' of Newcastle, the 'Scousers' of Liverpool, the 'Brummies' of Birmingham, the 'Cockneys' of East London and the delightfully comedic drawl of the West Country's 'Worzel Gummidge.' Not gobbledegook, claptrap, mumbo-jumbo, codswallop, yackety-yak, tittle-tattle, or blah-blah-blah, but as unique as an Australian accent, right?
BLURB
By comparison, English has around 400 million native speakers in its global catchment today. Apart from the spelling differences engendered across the English/American divide, these are genuinely identified only by regional accents