Mate English, the Majority English

Hear ye, hear ye!

“Big words for fools, tricky words for clowns
empty rules under a rusty crown
mumbled facts under proper nouns.
Smart money says, they’re going down
a new English has come to town.”
Dartwill Aquila

There are 2,5 times as many people who speak English as a second language—a ”mate tongue” alongside their parent tongue—as there are native speakers and their numbers grow rapidly.

Not only does English seem destined to become the single dominant language of international communication, Mate English will undoubtedly become the main dialect of World English.

American English was considered poor British English for nearly 200 years. Today American English dominates. A similar destiny seems in store for Mate English whose many regional or national dialects will not be greater than those dialects spoken within Native English today.

In light of this tendency, two aspects should be kept in mind.

1. English is not a particularly good or bad language. It has its advantages and disadvantages, as do all languages. It has achieved its position because of historical, political and economical reasons, not because of any linguistic superiority.

2. Language is a tool of communication in the service of the people who use it. No one can own a language. A language belongs to the people who speak it. If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, say, “Fuck you!” and see if they understand.

(Tomorrow: Whispers of Grass)