Inkhorn Controversy

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Inkhorn Controversy

Have you already heard about the Inkhorn controversy? It is one of the most discussed and debated in the English language. It is part of revolution of language that first taken place in England during the 16th-17th centuries as a language that is transitioned out of the Middle English period. It has gained a lot of controversies because of the new words that were introduced that bring consciousness to people. There were negative opinions and critics about it, some say that the inkhorn words are just useless and are hard to understand.

When Did It Start?

Inkhorn term first appeared in early 1553, some of the inkhorn terms that are commonly used by many are celebrate, dismiss, commit and ingenious while some of it was just faded after it was first introduced. The enthusiastic borrowers of new inkhorn word was Thomas Elyot and George Pettie, but not all of them agreed because they were still who have argued with them like Thomas Wilson and John Cheke. Some of the inkhorn words have become useful but almost of them just fallen out of fashion, others have been accepted but soon it was then vanished again.

The use of this new word not just affects the readers but as well as the writers and the poet makers. The objection to inkhorn terms gains emotive reactions because of the sudden increase of the English vocabulary. Some of the words that have survived are those that are well accepted in English language while those who have died out are the words that are quite difficult to understand. Whether it succeeded or not, the inkhorn terms still play a vital role in the English language.

Some of the words that came from it are now commonly used nowadays. The extraordinary inventions and developing of new words just aims to enrich English language. Even if some of it are not well accepted there are still some that is added as new terms of language. Some of the new words that gained permanent place were now being used by some writers in describing their writings. Through it writers have come with experimenting new languages and terms that can be used in everyday basis.

Some of the inkhorn rejected terms are:

Fatigate: to fatigue
Ingense: immense
Obtestate: call upon witness
Exolete: faded
Illecebrous: attractive
Adnichilate: annihilate

These are some of the words that have failed to meet the needs of people, some of it is not well understood and some of it is hard to pronounce. This new terms are sometimes complicated that is why many are having problem with it. Some say that it is still important that people must take pride using mother tongue words because through it you can express your own national identity. The development of these terms just only goes to show that there are changes in language through the time. Some of the inkhorn terms might be useful that can help people enhance more of their language for better understanding and communication.

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