“A received pronunciation”
Eighteenth-century pronouncing dictionaries and the precursors
of RP
This chapter examines the codification of English
pronunciation prior to the emergence and recognition of RP. I
analyse early citations of “received pronunciation” and contrast
these with later uses of “Received Pronunciation”. Drawing on Haugen (1966) and Milroy & Milroy (1999),
I identify the processes of standardisation and distinguish
standardisation from levelling before outlining the history of
standardisation in English. I then discuss why the need for a
standard pronunciation arose in the eighteenth century and the
criteria used to select and codify pronunciations. I conclude that
authors such as Walker and Sheridan did not succeed in implementing
a standard pronunciation, but their attempts at codification laid
the ground for the emergence of RP in the nineteenth century.
Article outline
- 1.“Received pronunciation” or “a received pronunciation”?
- 2.Standardisation: Theoretical issues
- 3.Standardisation in the history of English: An overview
- 4.Standardisation and the pronunciation of English
- 5.Defining a standard pronunciation
- 6.Codification in action: Choosing between variants
- 7.Eighteenth-century codification: RP or not RP?
-
Acknowledgements
-
Notes
-
References
-
Electronic resources
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