A living language is like a man suffering incessantly from small hemorrhages, and what it needs above all else is constant transactions of new blood from other tongues. The day the gates go up, that day it begins to die.
H. L. MenckenRead
Purists behave as if there was a vintage year when language achieved a measure of excellence which we should all strive to maintain. In fact, there was never such a year. The language of Chaucer's or Shakespeare's time was no better and no worse than that of our own - just different.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Language evolves over time, and no single period can be considered the definitive standard of excellence.
Jean Aitchison's quote highlights the notion that language is dynamic and constantly changes rather than adhering to a fixed standard of 'excellence.' The idea that there was a perfect period in history when language peaked is a myth; language in the time of great writers like Chaucer and Shakespeare was simply different, not inherently superior or inferior to contemporary language.
Themes
LanguageEvolutionExcellenceHistoryChange
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about linguistic diversity, one might refer to Aitchison's quote to argue against prescriptive norms.
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