Linguistic purism in English

Linguistic purism in English is a long-standing effort to keep the language pure by limiting words borrowed from other languages. This idea began after many French words entered English following the Norman conquest of England. Over time, some people have wanted to remove these foreign words and use only native English words instead.

This movement has taken many forms throughout history. In its simplest form, it encourages using native English words instead of borrowing from other languages. In more extreme cases, new words are created from old English roots or revived from older forms of the language.

Famous writers and thinkers, like Charles Dickens and George Orwell, have supported this idea in modern times. They believed that keeping English pure helps maintain its beauty and clarity.

History

Middle English

See also: Middle English creole hypothesis

After the Norman Conquest, many French words entered English because French was used by nobles and in schools. Some early Middle English texts tried to avoid too many French words. For example, Layamon's Brut, written in the late 1200s or early 1300s, used mostly old English words and style. Another book, Ancrene Wisse, also tried to keep close to old English ways, even when using some French or old Norse words. A book called Ayenbite of Inwyt used special ways to say things instead of borrowing French words.

Early Modern English

In the 1500s and 1600s, some people argued against using too many foreign words in English. Some, like Thomas Elyot, thought borrowing words was needed to grow the language. But others, like John Cheke, wanted to keep English simple and not mix in too many foreign words. Thomas Wilson criticized using foreign words, calling it "outlandish English".

Modern English

In the 1800s, with many new scientific words coming from Greek and Latin, interest in keeping English pure grew again. President Thomas Jefferson noted a renewed interest in old English words. Writer William Barnes created new English words to replace older ones. Charles Dickens stressed the importance of using native English words.

In 1917, a guide called The King's English suggested using simpler, old English words instead of foreign ones. George Orwell later criticized the use of many foreign words in English. Composer Percy Grainger preferred using pure English words over traditional Italian music terms.

Paul Jennings coined the term "Anglish" in 1966 to describe English without foreign borrowings. In 1989, writer Poul Anderson wrote a text about atomic theory using only Germanic-rooted words. David Cowley's book from 2009 updates old English words for modern use, making them easier to understand. Writer Paul Kingsnorth wrote a novel in 2014 using a mix of old and modern English to reflect life in the year 1066. An online newsletter called The Anglish Times has been sharing news using only old English words since 2021.