Historical Motivation for Standardization (or is that an "s"?) The process of standardization of English can be said to have begun with the advent of printing and consequent wider dissemination of printed material in the 15th century. Early on, it was perceived that the extensive and dramatic linguistic variation in England as well as the rapid pace of language change presented a challenge. It is perhaps difficult for us to imagine the marked differences between varieties of English at the time, all co-existing within the small space of England. Today, we can travel across the continent of North America and have high levels of confidence that regional differences in English, although perceivable, will not unduly interfere with our communications. (Although on some of the islands off the east coast, for example, Tangier and Okrakoke, there are dialects which diverge a great deal from spoken Standard American English.) Such was not the case in the 15th century, as this interesting anecdote from printer William Caxton (written in 1490) makes clear. 1. And certaynly our langage now vsed varyeth ferre from that whiche was vsed and spoken whan I was borne. For we Englysshe men ben borne vnder the domynacyon of the mone, whiche is neuer stedfaste but euer wauerynge, wexynge one season, and waneth and dyscreaseth another season. And that comyn Englysshe that is spoken in one shyre varyeth from a nother. In so moch that in my dayes happened that certayn marchauntes were in a shippe in Tamyse, for to haue sayled ouer the see into Zelande, and for lacke of wynde thei taryed atte Forlond, and wente to lande for to refreshe them; And one of theym named Sheffelde, a mercer, cam in-to an hows and axed for mete; and specyally he axyd after eggys; And the goode wyf answerde, that she coude not speke no Frenshe. And the marchaunt was angry, for he also coude speke no Frenshe, but wolde haue hadde egges, and she vnderstode him not. And thenne at laste a nother sayd that he wold haue eyren: then the good wyf sayd that she vnderstood him wel. Loo, what sholde a man in thyse dayes now wryte, egges or eyren. Certainly it is harde to playse eueryman by cause of dyuersite and chaunge of langage. (emphasis added) (Harris & Taylor, p. 86) Caxton's anecdote is important because, as Harris and Taylor point out (p. 88), it is the first time that the widespread linguistic diversity in England was seen as a problem, and a considerable one at that. Not only, as a printer, did Caxton have to decide which of the then current varieties would be the model which would offer him the best market, but also, and more fundamentally, he had to decide on how to spell the selected model. These problems were further compounded by the rapid pace of language change (which Caxton himself recognized), a pace we are unaccustomed to due to the great success of our standardizing forbears. 2. And also my lorde abbot of Westmynster ded do shewe to me late certayn euydences wryton in olde Englysshe for to reduce it into our Englysshe now usid. And certaynly it was wreton in such wyse that it was more lyke to Dutche than Englysshe; I coude not reduce ne brynge it to be vnderstonden. (Harris & Taylor, p. 89)