Here's a breakdown of Lowth's influence:
Positive Impacts:
* Standardization: Lowth's grammar book was a major force in standardizing English grammar. He established rules and principles that helped to bring uniformity to a language that had been in a state of flux. This, in turn, facilitated communication and understanding across different regions and social classes.
* Clarity and precision: Lowth championed clear and concise writing and advocated against ambiguous or overly complex sentence structures. This contributed to the development of a more polished and precise style of writing.
* Prescriptive authority: Lowth's work helped to establish the prescriptive authority of grammarians. He argued that there was a "correct" way to speak and write English, and his book became a model for future grammarians.
Negative Impacts:
* Artificial rules: Some of Lowth's rules were based on Latin grammar rather than natural English usage. These artificial rules, often referred to as "Lowth's errors," led to unnecessary restrictions on English usage. For example, he condemned the use of "it's" as a contraction of "it is" and advocated for "it is" instead, even though "it's" had been used naturally in English for centuries.
* Stifling creativity: His prescriptive approach to grammar led to the suppression of certain grammatical constructions and expressions. This can be seen as stifling creativity and diversity in language use.
* Ignoring social variation: Lowth's emphasis on a "correct" way of speaking and writing often disregarded the social and regional variations in language. This contributed to the notion that there was a single "standard" English that was superior to other forms of the language.
Overall:
Robert Lowth's influence on the English language is complex and multifaceted. While he played a significant role in standardizing grammar and promoting clarity in writing, his prescriptive approach also led to the creation of artificial rules and the suppression of natural language variation. His work remains a subject of debate among linguists and language enthusiasts today, and his influence is still felt in English grammar, though perhaps less so than in the past.