Inkhorn term
Encyclopedia
An inkhorn term is any foreign borrowing
(or a word created from existing word roots by an English speaker) into English
deemed to be unnecessary or overly pretentious.
made out of horn
. It was an important item for many scholars and soon became symbolic of writer
s in general. Later it became a byword for fussy or pedantic writers.
to Modern English
. It was also a time when English was replacing Latin as the main language of science
and learning
in England
, although French
was still prevalent. Many new words were being introduced into the language by writers, often self-consciously borrowing from Classical literature. Critics regarded these words as useless, usually requiring knowledge of Latin or Greek
to be understood. They also contended that there were words with identical meaning already in English. Some of the terms did indeed seem to fill a semantic gap
in English (often technical and scientific words) whereas others coexisted with native (Germanic
) words with the same or similar meanings and often supplanted them. The term "inkhorn term" appeared as early as 1560.
Writers such as Thomas Elyot
and George Pettie were enthusiastic borrowers of new words whereas Thomas Wilson
and John Cheke
argued against them. Cheke wrote:
Many of these so-called inkhorn terms, such as dismiss, celebrate, encyclopedia, commit, capacity and ingenious stayed in the language and are commonly used. Many other neologisms faded soon after they were first used; for example expede which is now all but obsolete, although the derivative expedient and the similar word impede survive. Faced with the influx of these new words from foreign languages, some writers either tried to resurrect older English words (gleeman for musician – see glee
, sicker for certainly, inwit for conscience, yblent for confused) or create wholly new words from Germanic
roots (endsay for conclusion, yeartide for anniversary, foresayer for prophet) – see Anglo-Saxon linguistic purism.
created a whole lexicon of words such as starlore for astronomy and speechcraft for grammar but his words were not widely accepted. See Anglo-Saxon linguistic purism for further developments.
Loanword
A loanword is a word borrowed from a donor language and incorporated into a recipient language. By contrast, a calque or loan translation is a related concept where the meaning or idiom is borrowed rather than the lexical item itself. The word loanword is itself a calque of the German Lehnwort,...
(or a word created from existing word roots by an English speaker) into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
deemed to be unnecessary or overly pretentious.
Etymology
An inkhorn is an inkwellInkwell
An inkwell is a small jar or container, often made of glass, porcelain, silver, brass, or pewter, used for holding ink in a place convenient for the person who is writing...
made out of horn
Horn (anatomy)
A horn is a pointed projection of the skin on the head of various animals, consisting of a covering of horn surrounding a core of living bone. True horns are found mainly among the ruminant artiodactyls, in the families Antilocapridae and Bovidae...
. It was an important item for many scholars and soon became symbolic of writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
s in general. Later it became a byword for fussy or pedantic writers.
Adoption
Controversy over inkhorn terms was rife from the mid-16th to the mid-17th century, during the transition from Middle EnglishMiddle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
to Modern English
Modern English
Modern English is the form of the English language spoken since the Great Vowel Shift in England, completed in roughly 1550.Despite some differences in vocabulary, texts from the early 17th century, such as the works of William Shakespeare and the King James Bible, are considered to be in Modern...
. It was also a time when English was replacing Latin as the main language of science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and learning
Learning
Learning is acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Progress over time tends to follow learning curves.Human learning...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, although French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
was still prevalent. Many new words were being introduced into the language by writers, often self-consciously borrowing from Classical literature. Critics regarded these words as useless, usually requiring knowledge of Latin or Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
to be understood. They also contended that there were words with identical meaning already in English. Some of the terms did indeed seem to fill a semantic gap
Semantic gap
The semantic gap characterizes the difference between two descriptions of an object by different linguistic representations, for instance languages or symbols...
in English (often technical and scientific words) whereas others coexisted with native (Germanic
Germanic languages
The Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
) words with the same or similar meanings and often supplanted them. The term "inkhorn term" appeared as early as 1560.
Writers such as Thomas Elyot
Thomas Elyot
Sir Thomas Elyot was an English diplomat and scholar.-Early Life:Thomas was the child of Sir Richard Elyot's first marriage with Alice De la Mare, but neither the date nor place of his birth is accurately known...
and George Pettie were enthusiastic borrowers of new words whereas Thomas Wilson
Thomas Wilson (rhetorician)
Thomas Wilson was an English diplomat, judge, and privy councillor in the government of Elizabeth I. He is now remembered for his Logique and The Arte of Rhetorique , an influential text...
and John Cheke
John Cheke
Sir John Cheke was an English classical scholar and statesman, notable as the first Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge University....
argued against them. Cheke wrote:
Many of these so-called inkhorn terms, such as dismiss, celebrate, encyclopedia, commit, capacity and ingenious stayed in the language and are commonly used. Many other neologisms faded soon after they were first used; for example expede which is now all but obsolete, although the derivative expedient and the similar word impede survive. Faced with the influx of these new words from foreign languages, some writers either tried to resurrect older English words (gleeman for musician – see glee
Glee (music)
A glee is an English type of part song spanning the late baroque, classical and early romantic periods. It is usually scored for at least three voices, and generally intended to be sung unaccompanied. Glees often consist of a number of short, musically contrasted movements and their texts can be...
, sicker for certainly, inwit for conscience, yblent for confused) or create wholly new words from Germanic
Germanic languages
The Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
roots (endsay for conclusion, yeartide for anniversary, foresayer for prophet) – see Anglo-Saxon linguistic purism.
Legacy
Few of these words created in opposition to inkhorn terms remained in common usage and the writers who disdained the use of Latinate words often could not avoid using other words of foreign origin. Although the inkhorn controversy was over by the end of the 17th century many writers have attempted to return to what they saw as the purer roots of the language. William BarnesWilliam Barnes
William Barnes was an English writer, poet, minister, and philologist. He wrote over 800 poems, some in Dorset dialect and much other work including a comprehensive English grammar quoting from more than 70 different languages.-Life:He was born at Rushay in the parish of Bagber, Dorset, the son of...
created a whole lexicon of words such as starlore for astronomy and speechcraft for grammar but his words were not widely accepted. See Anglo-Saxon linguistic purism for further developments.
See also
- AnglishAnglishAnglo-Saxon linguistic purism is a kind of English linguistic purism, which favors words of native origin over those of foreign origin. In its mild form, it merely means using existing native words instead of foreign ones...
- AureationAureationAureation is a device in arts of rhetoric that involves the "gilding" of diction in one language by the introduction of terms from another, typically a classical language considered to be more prestigious. It can be seen as analogous to gothic schools of ornamentation in carving, painting or...
- Linguistic purismLinguistic purismLinguistic purism or linguistic protectionism is the practice of defining one variety of a language as being purer than other varieties. The ideal of purity is often opposed in reference to a perceived decline from an "ideal past" or an unwanted similarity with other languages, but sometimes simply...
- Plain languagePlain languagePlain language is clear, succinct writing designed to ensure the reader understands as quickly and completely as possible.Plain language strives to be easy to read, understand, and use. It avoids verbose, convoluted language and jargon...
- Prestige (sociolinguistics)
- Classical compoundClassical compoundClassical compounds are compound words composed from Latin or Ancient Greek root words. A large portion of the technical and scientific lexicon of English and other Western European languages consists of classical compounds. For example, bio- combines with -graphy to form biography...
- FranglaisFranglaisFranglais , a portmanteau combining the French words "français" and "anglais" , is a slang term for an interlanguage, although the word has different overtones in French and English....
- Uncleftish BeholdingUncleftish BeholdingUncleftish Beholding is a short text written by Poul Anderson. It is written using almost exclusively words of Germanic origin, and was intended to illustrate what the English language might look like if it had not received its considerable number of loanwords from other languages, particularly...