The History of Quaker Plain Speech
The Quaker conviction of equality sometimes caused small changes in behavior that ultimately had radical consequences. Thomas Hamm explains the origins of Quaker plain speech.
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Transcript
Quaker plain speaking originated in a desire to avoid anything that was associated with practices or beliefs that were un-Christian, that even indirectly honored pagan deities, and in the Quaker belief in the spiritual equality of all people and a desire to avoid practices which served to puff up human vanity and a feeling that some people-simply by birth or rank-were better than others.
#1 -- The Calendar
First of all, the Quaker plain language or plain speech had its own version of the calendar.
Quakers were not unique, but they were probably most conspicuous in believing that it was improper for godly people-good Christians-to use the normal names of the days of the week and the months of the year, since they were largely originally intended to honor Pagan gods.
So for example, Monday was in honor of the moon god, Sunday in honor of the Sun God, so on and so forth and in the same way the months of the year honored pagan gods like Julius Caesar or Augustus or Maya, so the Quaker calendar used simple numbers. Thus, Sunday became "First Day" (the day on which Friends would go to Meeting), the months of the year in the same way became first month, second month, and so on.
#2 -- "Thee" and "Thou"
The second element of Quaker plain speaking was the refusal to use the word "you" to a single person.
Under the rules of English grammar as they would have existed in the 1650s or 1660s, it was understood that proper usage was to use "thee" or "thou" to a single person and "you" to two or more people. The exception to that rule, however, was if a person were addressing a social superior: so, for example, if a common person is addressing a lord or a lady, it was unthinkable that that common person would "thee" or "thou" that social superior.
Friends had no use for those sorts of customary courtesies which they saw as elevating some people above others, and in the process very likely puffing up sinful human vanity. So when addressing a single person, they insisted-no matter what the social rank-that person be addressed as "thee" or "thou", and that really, really, really annoyed the upper classes of 17th century England. They saw it as undermining the very foundations of the social order.
#3 -- Refusal to Use Titles
The third aspect of Quaker speech or plain language was a refusal to use complimentary titles.
So good Friends would address all people by name, as "Thomas Hamm" or "William Penn" or "Margaret Fell". Not as "Mr. Penn" or "Your Ladyship Margaret."
Once again, that really, really annoyed the upper classes and if you wanted to get a Quaker into trouble, one surefire way you could do it was to haul the Quaker into court, on even the most spurious of charge, but because the Friend would refuse to address the judge as "your honor," if nothing else you could get the Friend thrown into jail for contempt.
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Plain speech here in PA means layman’s terms that are understandable, not an excuse for just being coarse or crass
In Portuguese, Monday is 'second-day' (segunda-feira), this runs right through to Friday as 'sexta-feira' (sixth-day) with only Saturday sábado (sabbath) and Sunday - domingo - (from Latin - Lord's day).
In some parts of Yorkshire, England, 'thee' and 'thou' are still in use, e.g. in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
Amen, the last of the pure faith systems....
Is that an IBM Selectric II I see on that desk?
I like how they acted based on the beliefs- we're all equal- rather than adjust to the circumstances. I have a question though- what do Quaker do today? What do they do in court? And what about people with a title of nobility? it's an old leftover from a time where people weren't equal at all.
@jaythatcher9997
4 жыл бұрын
In court in a score or more of jurors, when asked do you swear to...., instead of mumbling "I do" with the rest of them, I have said, "I so affirm." Were I a witness to be sworn in alone, I would ask to affirm. This is legal in many places. I'm pretty sure Richard Nixon used the word swear, rather than affirm. Hoover practiced his Quakerism, but I'm not sure what he said at his inaugural. When writing or referring to an office holder, I typically use, "Dear Peter DeFazio," rather than "Dear Representative DeFazio." I want to reduce the temptation for my feelings or his attitude toward holding office to get in the way of any personal connection we might make through my words. With Jorge Borgolio, I'd address or refer to him that way, rather than as, "Your Holiness," or "the Pope." I'm not totally consistent. At meeting as a Sundae School teacher, I'm Jay. In a public school where all the adult staff are spoken to with titles, I conformed and suggested students call me "Mr. Thatcher." I did not correct any who called me Jay.
@rollyntrueblood9833
3 жыл бұрын
Was there a formal distinction between thee and thou? Since English has ancient Saxon terms, Was thee used used when being formal and not on a personal basis and thou being informal , the way you would address your wife? I cite Sie and du as examples in German. Also as a child, we were taught to capitalize nouns referring to people we Love. For instance I capitalize Wife Son Daughter Mother Father etc as a means of distinguishing family vs. non family members . Again the tradition is an exception to the German rule that all nouns are capitalized.
@maxhess3151
Жыл бұрын
@@rollyntrueblood9833 Thee and thou are both informal. Thee is an object pronoun, thou is a subject pronoun.
These quaks are hilarious
why is it the first thing I notice about this video is the typewriter in the background.
Some of these beleifs make sense for when they historically were founded but don't make as much sense in today's world. Simple speech I am lukewarm on. But I am a bit troubled by the "plain" dress or the idea some quackers have about wearing plain clothing to avoid vanity or whatever. That is definitely not a belief that I would be terribly good at. I am super "extra" when it comes to the way I dress because I enjoy it and I don't think there is anything wrong about my character because of it.
@julirensch
5 жыл бұрын
Ego is such a strong force...been there, know it well LOL All the best Cassandra
@Sarah-pl8rp
5 жыл бұрын
The great thing about Quakerism is that the beliefs change with the times
@MsZephyra
4 жыл бұрын
@@julirensch Please don't confuse personality/passion with ego.
I’ve read that quakers originally used the “thou” form (e. g. “thou art”, “thou givest”), but then began to use the “thee” form (as a nominative) with the 3rd person singular ending - thus, “thee is”, “thee gives” (or “thee giveth”??) Is it true? And why such an artificial form? Thank you. God bless us all.
@caroldraper5017
3 жыл бұрын
my great aunt and uncle used thee and thy in everyday speech back in the sixties.
@carfagnolo
3 жыл бұрын
@@caroldraper5017 Thank you. Do you mean that they would say for instance "thee is a good girl" (not "thou art")? God bless us all, always.
@eliyahushvartz2167
2 жыл бұрын
@@carfagnolo i’m a year late, but yes they would use “Thee is”. This is not exactly artificial, it appears to simply be a change in the grammar.
@carfagnolo
2 жыл бұрын
@@eliyahushvartz2167 I see. Very interesting. Thank you.
@eliyahushvartz2167
2 жыл бұрын
@@carfagnolo I find it rather interesting that the nominative-accusative merger happened here. It’s the same thing that happened to ye/you. Not to mention the shift from the second person singular conjugation to being the third person singular. Which in all honesty makes some sense, for one thing “-est” is not too different from “-es”, and the usage of “-est” was probably confusing to many Quakers who probably weren’t as well educated as their more prolific figures and writers. It’s suggested that even those writers in daily life may have simply used “thee” as the nominative, but wrote it down as “thou”. Regardless to this day some Quakers keep to this tradition and still use “thee is”. And in my humble opinion, I like the usage of “thee” very much. While “you” eventually came into use for politeness’ sake, I feel that “thou/thee” being used not only helps distinguish between the singular and the plural second person pronouns, but also keep people on that same equal playing ground without elevating anybody up to that “you” status 😂. I’ve been thinking about adopting “thee” into my personal vocabulary lately.
contempt.....hmmm
I feel that some historic Quaker practices, rather than being based on the testimony of the equality of all, were in fact exclusivist - an assertion that Quakers were special or the one true Church. For example, refusing hat honour, as the Quakers did, looked like giving offence for the sake of it, which was why it was so unpopular with polite society.
@EmulationofAwesome
4 жыл бұрын
"Polite society" was busy throwing them in jail for worshiping outside the Church of England.
@armorsmith43
3 жыл бұрын
@@EmulationofAwesome yea, conflicts tend to escalate like that.
What is hilarious is that in this video they state that they do not use the conventional names for days of the week in a puritanical approach to not even indirectly paying homage to pagan deities, but this same QuakerSpeak channel has another video where the speaker proclaims that he is both Muslim and Quaker at the same time! They strain out the gnat and swallow the camel, as it were. ;)
@MrResearcher122
7 жыл бұрын
@RedRinglight Quakers are split, my friend, on certain issues. Hicksites belief, like most Quakers, we all have an inner light (black and white, Muslim and Christian, Jew and Greek, believer and non-believer). Since this light is within, it isn't dependent on a Holy Book though a Holy Book can help to guide it. Rufus Jones, in 1904, wrote that: "The Inner Light is the doctrine that there is something Divine, ‘Something of God’ in the human soul". A old sufi would agree, because they say God was a reality before He was a name. On that basis, nothing strange in a Sufi Quaker, or a Quaker who is a Sufi. I'm of the conviction the Muslim Quaker is of a Sufi Islamic background in that video.
@Sarah-pl8rp
5 жыл бұрын
Most modern day Quakers do not use this way of speaking anymore. The times are changing, and so are our views on such subjects. Also, Islam is not a pagan religion.
@UltraAar
5 жыл бұрын
@@Sarah-pl8rp Islam copies all the pagan religions that were in its region historically. How much do you actually know about Muhammad
@MsZephyra
4 жыл бұрын
@@MrResearcher122 This makes me so happy, I'm not alone! (As I have been slowly getting more involved in both Quaker and Sufi communities)
@MrResearcher122
4 жыл бұрын
@@MsZephyra That's wonderful, Ms Zephyra. My heart is one, but at home in the teachings of the two wisdoms, which to me overlap. There is a British Muslim Quaker who wrote a lovely article about his experience in combining the two traditions. It's online but I'll see if I can find it for you, and send it.