§ 3. Progress of culture. Introduction of printing. Rise of the London dialect

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The main subject in schools was still Latin; the English language was labeled as 
„a rude and barren tongue‟, fit only to serve as an instrument to teach Latin. Thus the 
influence of classical languages on English grew and was reflected in the enrichment 
of the vocabulary.
Of all the inventions of that age, the introduction of printing was the most 
outstanding.
Printing was invented in Germany by Johan Gutenberg in 1438. Later it spread 
to Strasburg, then to Italy and to the Netherlands. It was in Flanders, in the town of 
Bruges, that William Caxton became acquainted with the art of printing. Returning to 
England, he founded the 1
st
English printing office in London in 1476. The 1
st
book 
to be printed in England, namely, “The Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers”, 
appeared in 1477. Soon manuscript books began to disappear. Before 1500, in less 
than twenty-five years, the number of books issued in Europe had reached the 
surprising figure of 35,000, most of which were in Latin, but by 1640 in England 
more than 20,000 titles had appeared in English, including all types of books from 
mere pamphlets to massive folios. The spread of printed books helped to make 
spelling more uniform. Individual spelling still appeared, but the establishment of 
spelling conventions was begun and the authority of printed word acted as a 
restraining influence. 
Caxton had a greater opportunity than most to influence the language. In seeking 
material for publication he became a translator, and as an author and translator he 
endeavoured to make English as beautiful and as expressive a language as Latin and 
French seemed to be to him. He therefore introduced many „strange terms‟ to his 
readers. As from the beginning London became the centre of book-publishing in 
England, Caxton used the current speech of Londoners in his numerous translations. 
The books that issued from his press and from the presses of his successors gave 
currency to London English. That fact assured more than anything else its rapid 
adoption by the population.
Towards the end of early NE, that is by the middle of the 17
th
c, one of the forms 
of the national literary language – its Written Standard - had probably been 
established. Its growth and recognition as the correct or „prestige‟ form of the 
language of writing had been brought about by many factors: the economic and 
political unification of the country, the progress of culture and education, the 
flourishing of literature. 
The writers of the period from 1300 to Chaucer did not use the same dialect. 
Each chose the one with which he was familiar with, whether Northern, or Midland, 
or Southern. It is only from the time of Chaucer and his successors that the language 
they used became the literary language of the whole England. Latin was still used, 
but far less commonly than in the preceding century. The result of this was that 
English began to displace Latin among scholars. 
The elevation of London English to the position of the standard literary language 
did not prevent other dialects from surviving among the common people, and 
continuing in use to the present time. But modern English dialects are far less 
important from the literary standpoint. 

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