English Class 11 Chapter 7 Notes Bihar Board बिहार बोर्ड

Global English

• Development of English:
  • English evolved from the Anglo-Saxon language into what is now known as “Queen’s English.”
  • Standard British English speech is often referred to as Received Pronunciation (RP).
• Language Borrowing:
  • English has borrowed extensively from other languages due to trade, learning, and invasions.
  • Examples of borrowed words:
    • Latin: adapt, crisis, exist, skeleton, vacuum.
    • Spanish: apricot, banana, guitar, mosquito, tobacco.
    • Italian: balcony, ballet, opera, rocket.
    • French: anatomy, chocolate, passport, tomato.
  • The diverse sources of borrowing make English a “gloriously impure language.”
• Spread of English with the British Empire:
  • By the 18th century, the British Empire spanned much of the globe, leading to the widespread use of English.
  • English absorbed words from the languages of the colonies, including:
    • Afrikaans: trek
    • Hindi: guru, thug
    • Swahili: safari
    • Malay: ketchup, bamboo
    • Persian: bazaar, caravan
    • Arabic: harem, Sultan
    • Tamil: curry, pariah
    • American Indian: moose, moccasin

New National Varieties of English

• American English:
  • Emerged after America gained independence from Britain.
  • Reflects a distinct national identity.
  • Recognized as a “world language” similar to British English, though with notable differences.

The Emergence of ‘New Englishes’

• Development of ‘New Englishes’:
  • As English spread globally, new varieties developed in non-native English-speaking countries.
  • Examples include Indian English, Nigerian English, etc.
  • These varieties are closer to British English than to American English but have unique characteristics.
• Indian English:
  • Indian English has developed distinct words and sentence patterns.
  • Examples of vocabulary differences:
    • Family member: a member of the family
    • Match box: a box of matches
    • Godown: warehouse
    • Lakh: a hundred thousand
  • Examples of grammar differences:
    • “I am owning two houses” instead of “I own two houses.”
    • “You like coffee, isn’t it?” instead of “You like coffee, don’t you?”

Satirical Representation of Indian English

• Nissim Ezekiel’s Poem:
  • The poem “Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.” by Nissim Ezekiel satirizes the peculiarities of Indian English.
  • Highlights the distinct use of English in India through exaggerated expressions and grammar.