Border Crossings

This chapter examines Andrew Clark’s exploration of language and language barriers in war-time use, and the border crossings that words often revealed. French, Belgian, Russian, Indian English, and German (among others) all attracted his attention. As he explored, articles and advertisements in the British press appeared in Flemish or French, directly addressing the shifting constitution of the Home Front in the wake of war. Clark’s interest in Indian English is richly documented. French, in particular, claimed a topical currency, infusing trench slang (and reported speech) alongside popular reportage. In contrast, distinctive forms of logophobia with reference to German as the language of the enemy generated a set of highly divisive language tactics in which linguistic and moral inversion were intentionally aligned.