An empire can gain and maintain power when its subjects can understand those governing. This implies that in order to be able to have dominion over others, an empire must have a common language from which to govern. Without this, chaos and misunderstandings will prevail, which can lead to the destruction of empires from within. It has been said that "...empires spread English around the world," as is true with any empire and language. Once empires have staked their claim, those under their authority must succumb to the prevalent language, otherwise risking misunderstandings and confusion which often lead to conflict. No one likes conflict, so England was constantly "on its toes" to make sure everything they set out to do was running smoothly.
"The sun never sets on the English empire" can also be changed to say, "the sun never sets on the English language," as stated by the narrator. Both of these statements can be confirmed by the Empire of Britain colonizing in India, as a result of the East India Company's monopoly on spices. This "clash of cultures" resulted in the exchange of ideas, customs, and the morphing of the English language. Indian words like "shampoo" and "pajamas" were adopted into English usage. With languages constantly changing, where did they originate?
The scholar William Jones was able to discover that Sanskrit, English, and some other languages are similar and so "descended from one Indo-European language." This is evidence of the reality that languages are constantly being "modernized" and adapted to fit the needs of those actively using it. Since these languages descended from one language, it can be concluded that as time progressed, this first language was being changed by many groups which broke off and became powerful enough to establish their own empires with their own language.
Info:
Bragg, Melvyn. "The Adventures of English-Episode 7-The Language of Empire (1/5)." YouTube. RainbowEyes1000, 7 Oct. 2012. Web. 29 Jan. 2013
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