Proper pronunciation is a social judgment, not linguistic.
Dictionaries began as a way for people to learn diction, not definitions. The practice began when wealthy Scottish merchants moved to London and wanted to fit in with members of the less wealthy but more prestigious society groups known as the upper class.
So books were published listing not only the meanings of words, but the pronunciations favored by the dominant social group.
That attitude continues today, as a dominant social group maintains that the pronunciation they favor is "better" that any other.
On an international scale, consider this: Which is better, Spanish as spoken in Madrid or in Barcelona? (That dispute began in the days of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Each spoke a different dialect, but the queen's manner of speaking became standard. An arbitrary judgment.)
Dictionaries began as a way for people to learn diction, not definitions. The practice began when wealthy Scottish merchants moved to London and wanted to fit in with members of the less wealthy but more prestigious society groups known as the upper class.
So books were published listing not only the meanings of words, but the pronunciations favored by the dominant social group.
That attitude continues today, as a dominant social group maintains that the pronunciation they favor is "better" that any other.
On an international scale, consider this: Which is better, Spanish as spoken in Madrid or in Barcelona? (That dispute began in the days of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Each spoke a different dialect, but the queen's manner of speaking became standard. An arbitrary judgment.)
Which is better, the dialect spoken in Mexico or the one most popular in Puerto Rico? Is the Portuguese spoken in Brazil better than the dialect spoken in Portugal?
Is the dialect of English spoken in London better than that spoken in Chicago or New York? If so, which part of London, or which part of New York? Or Australia, or New Zealand? Or Glasgow or Dublin? By a president or a monarch?
In short, all dialects are equal. They all enable their speakers to communicate which each other effectively. To say that some dialects are "better" than others is a social judgment, not linguistic.
Similarly, the term "upper class" is a social judgment, not linguistic. The goal is to be understood, not to prove the speaker is a "better person."
Is the dialect of English spoken in London better than that spoken in Chicago or New York? If so, which part of London, or which part of New York? Or Australia, or New Zealand? Or Glasgow or Dublin? By a president or a monarch?
In short, all dialects are equal. They all enable their speakers to communicate which each other effectively. To say that some dialects are "better" than others is a social judgment, not linguistic.
Similarly, the term "upper class" is a social judgment, not linguistic. The goal is to be understood, not to prove the speaker is a "better person."
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