Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation (RP) is regarded as the standard accent of Standard English in the United Kingdom, with a relationship to regional accents similar to the relationship in other European languages between their standard varieties and their regional forms. RP is defined in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary as "the standard accent of English as spoken in the south of England", although it can be heard from native speakers throughout England and Wales. Peter Trudgill estimated in 1974 that 3% of people in Britain were RP speakers.
Although nothing intrinsic about RP marks it as superior to any other variety, sociolinguistic factors have given RP particular prestige in parts of Britain. It has thus been seen as the accent of those with power, money, and influence, though it has in recent times been perceived negatively as associated with undeserved privilege. Since the 1960s, a greater permissiveness towards allowing regional English varieties has taken hold in education and the media in Britain.
It is important not to confuse the notion of Received Pronunciation – a standard 'accent' – with the standard variety of the English language used in England that is given names such as "Standard English", "the Queen's English", "Oxford English", or "BBC English". The study of RP is concerned exclusively with pronunciation, while study of the standard language is also concerned with matters such as grammar, vocabulary and style. An individual using RP will typically speak Standard English, although the reverse is not necessarily true (e.g. the standard language may be pronounced with a regional accent, such as a Scottish or Yorkshire 'accent'; but it is very unlikely that someone speaking RP would use it to speak the Scots or the Yorkshire 'dialect').
History
The introduction of the term 'Received Pronunciation' is usually credited to Daniel Jones. In the first edition of the English Pronouncing Dictionary (1917), he named the accent "Public School Pronunciation", but for the second edition in 1926, he wrote, "In what follows I call it Received Pronunciation (abbreviation RP), for want of a better term. “However, the term had actually been used much earlier by Alexander Ellis in 1869 and Peter DuPonceau in 1818[(the term used by Henry C. K. Wyld in 1927 was "received standard"). According to Fowler's Modern English Usage (1965), the correct term is "'the' Received Pronunciation". The word 'received' conveys its original meaning of 'accepted' or 'approved', as in "received wisdom".
RP is often believed to be based on the Southern accents of England, but it actually has most in common with the Early Modern English dialects of the East Midlands. This was the most populated and most prosperous area of England during the 14th and 15th centuries. By the end of the 15th century, "Standard English" was established in the City of London. A mixture of London speech with elements from East Midlands, Middlesex, and Essex became what is now known as Received Pronunciation. By the 1970s, an estimated 3% of British people were RP speakers.
Indian English
Indian English is the group of English dialects, or regional language varieties, spoken primarily on the Indian subcontinent.
English language public instruction began in India in the 1830s during the rule of the East India Company (India was then, and is today, one of the most linguistically diverse regions of the world). In 1837, English replaced Persian as the official language of the Company. Throughout the 1840s and 1850s, primary- middle- and high schools were opened in many districts of British India, with most high schools offering English language instruction in some subjects. In 1857, just before the end of Company rule, universities modelled on the University of London and using English as the medium of instruction were established in Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. During subsequent Crown Rule in India, or the British Raj, lasting from 1858 to 1947, English language penetration increased throughout India. This was driven in part by the gradually increasing hiring of Indians in the civil services. At the time of India's independence in 1947, English was the only functional lingua franca in the country. Consequently, although the Constitution of India (1951) declared Hindi the official language of the new republic, it retained English as the associate official language.
According to the 2001 Census of India, almost all Indians who speak English are second language speakers. According to the 2005 India Human Development Survey, the surveyed households reported that 72 per cent of men did not speak any English, 28 per cent spoke some English, and five per cent spoke fluent English. Among women, the corresponding percentages were 83, 17, and 3.
Indian English generally uses the system. Idiomatic forms derived from Indian literary languages and vernaculars have been absorbed into Indian English. Nevertheless, there remains general homogeneity in phonetics, vocabulary, and phraseology between variants of the Indian English dialect.
After Indian Independence in 1947, Hindi was declared the first official language, and attempts were made to declare Hindi the sole national language of India. Due to protests from Tamil Nadu and other non-Hindi-speaking states, it was decided to temporarily retain English for official purposes until at least 1965. By the end of this period, however, opposition from non-Hindi states was still too strong to have Hindi declared the sole language. With this in mind, the English Language Amendment Bill declared English to be an associate language "until such time as all non-Hindi States had agreed to its being dropped." This has never occurred, as English is now reckoned as all but indispensable. For instance, it is the only reliable means of day-to-day communication between the central government and the non- Hindi states.
The spread of the English language in India has led it to become adapted to suit the local dialects. Due to the large diversity in Indian languages and cultures, there can be instances where the same English word can mean different things to different people in different parts of India.
Received Pronunciation (RP) is regarded as the standard accent of Standard English in the United Kingdom, with a relationship to regional accents similar to the relationship in other European languages between their standard varieties and their regional forms. RP is defined in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary as "the standard accent of English as spoken in the south of England", although it can be heard from native speakers throughout England and Wales. Peter Trudgill estimated in 1974 that 3% of people in Britain were RP speakers.
Although nothing intrinsic about RP marks it as superior to any other variety, sociolinguistic factors have given RP particular prestige in parts of Britain. It has thus been seen as the accent of those with power, money, and influence, though it has in recent times been perceived negatively as associated with undeserved privilege. Since the 1960s, a greater permissiveness towards allowing regional English varieties has taken hold in education and the media in Britain.
It is important not to confuse the notion of Received Pronunciation – a standard 'accent' – with the standard variety of the English language used in England that is given names such as "Standard English", "the Queen's English", "Oxford English", or "BBC English". The study of RP is concerned exclusively with pronunciation, while study of the standard language is also concerned with matters such as grammar, vocabulary and style. An individual using RP will typically speak Standard English, although the reverse is not necessarily true (e.g. the standard language may be pronounced with a regional accent, such as a Scottish or Yorkshire 'accent'; but it is very unlikely that someone speaking RP would use it to speak the Scots or the Yorkshire 'dialect').
History
The introduction of the term 'Received Pronunciation' is usually credited to Daniel Jones. In the first edition of the English Pronouncing Dictionary (1917), he named the accent "Public School Pronunciation", but for the second edition in 1926, he wrote, "In what follows I call it Received Pronunciation (abbreviation RP), for want of a better term. “However, the term had actually been used much earlier by Alexander Ellis in 1869 and Peter DuPonceau in 1818[(the term used by Henry C. K. Wyld in 1927 was "received standard"). According to Fowler's Modern English Usage (1965), the correct term is "'the' Received Pronunciation". The word 'received' conveys its original meaning of 'accepted' or 'approved', as in "received wisdom".
RP is often believed to be based on the Southern accents of England, but it actually has most in common with the Early Modern English dialects of the East Midlands. This was the most populated and most prosperous area of England during the 14th and 15th centuries. By the end of the 15th century, "Standard English" was established in the City of London. A mixture of London speech with elements from East Midlands, Middlesex, and Essex became what is now known as Received Pronunciation. By the 1970s, an estimated 3% of British people were RP speakers.
Indian English
Indian English is the group of English dialects, or regional language varieties, spoken primarily on the Indian subcontinent.
English language public instruction began in India in the 1830s during the rule of the East India Company (India was then, and is today, one of the most linguistically diverse regions of the world). In 1837, English replaced Persian as the official language of the Company. Throughout the 1840s and 1850s, primary- middle- and high schools were opened in many districts of British India, with most high schools offering English language instruction in some subjects. In 1857, just before the end of Company rule, universities modelled on the University of London and using English as the medium of instruction were established in Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. During subsequent Crown Rule in India, or the British Raj, lasting from 1858 to 1947, English language penetration increased throughout India. This was driven in part by the gradually increasing hiring of Indians in the civil services. At the time of India's independence in 1947, English was the only functional lingua franca in the country. Consequently, although the Constitution of India (1951) declared Hindi the official language of the new republic, it retained English as the associate official language.
According to the 2001 Census of India, almost all Indians who speak English are second language speakers. According to the 2005 India Human Development Survey, the surveyed households reported that 72 per cent of men did not speak any English, 28 per cent spoke some English, and five per cent spoke fluent English. Among women, the corresponding percentages were 83, 17, and 3.
Indian English generally uses the system. Idiomatic forms derived from Indian literary languages and vernaculars have been absorbed into Indian English. Nevertheless, there remains general homogeneity in phonetics, vocabulary, and phraseology between variants of the Indian English dialect.
After Indian Independence in 1947, Hindi was declared the first official language, and attempts were made to declare Hindi the sole national language of India. Due to protests from Tamil Nadu and other non-Hindi-speaking states, it was decided to temporarily retain English for official purposes until at least 1965. By the end of this period, however, opposition from non-Hindi states was still too strong to have Hindi declared the sole language. With this in mind, the English Language Amendment Bill declared English to be an associate language "until such time as all non-Hindi States had agreed to its being dropped." This has never occurred, as English is now reckoned as all but indispensable. For instance, it is the only reliable means of day-to-day communication between the central government and the non- Hindi states.
The spread of the English language in India has led it to become adapted to suit the local dialects. Due to the large diversity in Indian languages and cultures, there can be instances where the same English word can mean different things to different people in different parts of India.
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