Even if a myth is proven to be false, it is still subject to modification and eventual refutation. We used to think that a society's language was dictated by the type of government it had: an autocratic culture bred rigid, authoritarian dialects, while a democratic society literally expressed the people's will through its written and spoken language. English speakers in the eighteenth century considered classical Greek to be the perfect language to copy because it was established by the ancient world's first and foremost democracy. That Greek remained constant for millennia was also supposed to be an indication that the language had achieved its zenith.

We've learned our lesson. It did not bother eighteenth-century philosophers that participation in Greek, or rather Athenian, democracy was restricted by class and gender, but today's sentiments seem considerably less agreeable. Furthermore, academic research has demonstrated that no language has remained constant for a lengthy period of time. Just like English or any other language, Greek evolved across time and space. In addition to the significant contrasts between the Homeric, classical, and modern Greek dialects, there were distinct variances within the ancient Greek dialects.

The Language of Reason: French

If you don't already know, the French will tell you that French is better than other languages since it is more logical. Assuming that the structure of the human mind is logical as well, some believe that French mirrors the structure of the human mind. The French, on the other hand, see themselves as a nation of grammarians who care much about the purity and uniformity of their language. Parisian French was adopted as the official language of instruction after the French Revolution, and all regional dialects and languages were mostly banned in an effort to strengthen the central government's grip on power. However, this is a matter of semantics.

For example, linguistic reality contradicts what the Gallic people believe about themselves and their language, according to historian L C. Harmer (1954).

For starters, French is not and never has been a pure language. Despite its citizens' reluctance, French is a language that borrows words. France's name suggests this. A Germanic tribe, the Franks (together with the Northmen, or Northmen), "acquired" Latin from the Romans, who conquered France. Purists in France today object so much to the many English words adopted by their less chauvinistic comrades that non-French words have been outlawed: not only new words like le footing, 'jogging, and le pull or pullover,'sweater, but the good old words that crossed the Channel over two centuries ago, such as rosbif, redingote, and club.. Radio, television, and the newspapers are monitored by vigilante groups, and violators are fined by the government if vernacular Contraband is discovered.

According to the official viewpoint of France, at least, the language must be preserved. "Scrupulous or exaggerated observation of, or insistence on, purity or correctness, especially in language or style" is the French definition of purism (OED, s.v.). Even more importantly, the French take great care in maintaining a consistent language with little to no variation. A national education system is in place to propagate the choices of the Academy and to inhibit local creativity and change. As a result, no one in the French Academy or the teaching staff has been able to eliminate regional and social dialects or limit diversity.

Rare as it may be, this variation can be found in the ordinary speech of French speakers everywhere. For example, research from the heart of Paris reveals that the indicators of grammatical gender that so many of us struggled with when learning French in school are disappearing from spoken French (Durand 1936). When I taught English at a university in France a few years ago to students who were fluent in English but had poor writing skills, they avoided the problem of incorrect accent marks on their vowels by drawing horizontal lines instead of using acute and grave accents. This is despite the fact that American high school teachers still penalize students for incorrect accent marks. A large industry in use and style books exists to help those who are befuddled by the myriad of variations in French, the country's primary literary language. So much for the French mystique.