During the Early Modern English period, the Puritans in England developed certain language usages of their own that were mainly on the lexical level. Their language showed variation especially in the vocabulary (Barber 1997: 23). In the standard work Early Modern English by Charles Barber, he claims that repetition is probably a feature of Puritan public speech and takes as a foundation a character from Ben Jonson’s play Bartholomew Fair (1997: 24). So the first aim of this paper is to prove or refute Barber’s assertion that Puritans used the stylistic device of repetition in public speaking. The second aim of this paper is to find out to what extent the Puritans used their vocabulary in different literary genres. There will also be a short explanation of the meaning of Puritan words that are found in the text. This aspect cannot be considered in full detail as it would go beyond the scope of this paper. Furthermore, the paper will comment on whether the depiction of Puritans in 16th and 17th century drama is realistic concerning the use of Puritan vocabulary and repetition of words and phrases.
Van Beek writes in An enquiry into puritan vocabulary, which served as a main source for this paper, that there had hardly been done any similar work on the Puritan vocabulary before his study (1969: 5). According to the online bibliography of the Modern Language Association (MLA), there have not been published any similar studies from 1969 till today. In fact, there are only some references to Puritan vocabulary in larger studies, e.g. in the latest books on Early Modern English by Manfred Görlach and Barber’s above mentioned work from 1997. However, they also do not look closely at some specific features of their vocabulary. The only detailed study on a particular aspect of the Puritan vocabulary is Die Self-Komposita der Puritanersprache by Karl Waentig dated 1932. One can say that there has not been done any quantitative research so far on the Puritan vocabulary in the Early Modern period. Concerning the other interest of this paper one can also say that there has not been done research on the repetition of words and phrases in Puritan public speech.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Puritans and their language
2.1 What is Puritanism and when was it
2.2 About the Puritan language
3. Analysis of sources of Puritan language and discussion of the findings
3.1 Analysis of the sermons
3.1.1 Discussion of the Sermons
3.2 Analysis of the letters
3.3 Analysis of religious treatises and literary examples
3.3.1 The religious treatises
3.3.2 The literary examples
3.4 Discussion of the findings on the Puritan vocabulary
4. Conclusion
5. References
Objectives and Research Focus
This research aims to investigate the linguistic characteristics of Puritan speech and writing during the Early Modern English period, specifically testing the claim that Puritans frequently employed the stylistic device of repetition and possessed a distinct, recognizable vocabulary. By analyzing a corpus of sermons, letters, religious treatises, and literary works, the study seeks to determine if the depiction of Puritans in contemporary drama as users of repetitive, jargon-heavy speech is a realistic portrayal or an exaggerated stereotype.
- Verification of Charles Barber’s assertion regarding repetition in Puritan public speaking.
- Quantification of "Puritan" vocabulary usage across different literary genres.
- Evaluation of the realism in 16th and 17th-century dramatic depictions of Puritans.
- Analysis of specific Puritan sermons by Richard Baxter, John Rainolds, and Thomas Watson.
- Comparison of Puritan linguistic usage in religious contexts versus secular or military contexts.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
During the Early Modern English period, the Puritans in England developed certain language usages of their own that were mainly on the lexical level. Their language showed variation especially in the vocabulary (Barber 1997: 23). In the standard work Early Modern English by Charles Barber, he claims that repetition is probably a feature of Puritan public speech and takes as a foundation a character from Ben Jonson’s play Bartholomew Fair (1997: 24). So the first aim of this paper is to prove or refute Barber’s assertion that Puritans used the stylistic device of repetition in public speaking. The second aim of this paper is to find out to what extent the Puritans used their vocabulary in different literary genres. There will also be a short explanation of the meaning of Puritan words that are found in the text. This aspect cannot be considered in full detail as it would go beyond the scope of this paper. Furthermore, the paper will comment on whether the depiction of Puritans in 16th and 17th century drama is realistic concerning the use of Puritan vocabulary and repetition of words and phrases.
Van Beek writes in An enquiry into puritan vocabulary, which served as a main source for this paper, that there had hardly been done any similar work on the Puritan vocabulary before his study (1969: 5). According to the online bibliography of the Modern Language Association (MLA), there have not been published any similar studies from 1969 till today. In fact, there are only some references to Puritan vocabulary in larger studies, e.g. in the latest books on Early Modern English by Manfred Görlach and Barber’s above mentioned work from 1997. However, they also do not look closely at some specific features of their vocabulary. The only detailed study on a particular aspect of the Puritan vocabulary is Die Self-Komposita der Puritanersprache by Karl Waentig dated 1932. One can say that there has not been done any quantitative research so far on the Puritan vocabulary in the Early Modern period. Concerning the other interest of this paper one can also say that there has not been done research on the repetition of words and phrases in Puritan public speech.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter defines the research aims, specifically examining the stylistic use of repetition and distinct vocabulary in Puritan discourse compared to dramatic portrayals.
2. Puritans and their language: This chapter establishes the historical and linguistic definitions of Puritanism, clarifying the scope of the study period and the nature of "Puritan dialect."
3. Analysis of sources of Puritan language and discussion of the findings: This section presents the quantitative analysis of sermons, letters, treatises, and literature to measure the frequency of repetition and Puritan vocabulary usage.
4. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the research findings, concluding that while some repetition exists for rhetorical purposes, the dramatic depiction of Puritans is largely an exaggeration.
5. References: This chapter lists the primary and secondary sources utilized for this study.
Keywords
Puritanism, Early Modern English, Puritan vocabulary, rhetorical repetition, public speaking, sermons, literary genre, linguistic variation, stylistic device, cultural stereotypes, religious discourse, historical linguistics, textual analysis, Ben Jonson, discourse markers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines the specific linguistic features of Puritan language in the Early Modern English period, focusing on their vocabulary and the use of repetition in public speaking.
What are the central thematic areas?
The main themes include the definition of Puritanism, the analysis of specific religious texts, the validity of "Puritan" as a linguistic marker, and the comparison between historical reality and dramatic fiction.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to test the accuracy of claims made by scholars like Charles Barber, who suggested that repetition was a defining feature of Puritan speech, and to see if literature provides a realistic view of their language.
Which scientific methods are applied?
The paper uses a quantitative research approach, scanning a corpus of 15,250 words from various genres (sermons, letters, treatises) to measure the frequency of words identified by Van Beek as "Puritan."
What does the main body cover?
The main body details the analysis of specific sources, including sermons by Thomas Watson and Richard Baxter, correspondence by John Rainolds, and polemic works by Martin Marprelate, alongside an analysis of literary examples.
Which keywords characterize the work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Puritanism, Early Modern English, rhetorical repetition, linguistic variation, and cultural stereotyping.
How does the author define the "Puritan period" for this study?
The author defines the period as ranging from 1560 to the late 17th century, explicitly excluding American Puritanism as it does not align in time or substance with English Puritanism.
Why does the author conclude that the dramatic depiction of Puritans is exaggerated?
The author finds that in the dramatic character of Zeal-of-the-Land Busy, the frequency of Puritan-specific vocabulary and repetitive speech patterns is significantly higher than in the actual religious texts analyzed in the study.
What role do Cromwell's letters play in the analysis?
Cromwell's letters serve as a contrast; because they focus on military and secular matters rather than religious ones, the study shows that "Puritan" vocabulary is almost entirely absent, supporting the idea that this language was topic-dependent.
- Quote paper
- André Valente (Author), 2008, Enquiry into aspects of style and vocabulary of the Puritan language, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/163189
