The Earliest Business Letters in English: An Overview
- 1 April 1980
- journal article
- other
- Published by SAGE Publications in International Journal of Business Communication
- Vol. 17 (3) , 19-31
- https://doi.org/10.1177/002194368001700303
Abstract
Business Communication in English begins in the early 15th century. Im petus for using English instead of the previously-used Latin or French first came from the central government, which encouraged the use of English as a patriotic gesture during the war against France. Following this lead, writers of business letters eagerly switched to English but retained the highly formal letter writing style of the ars dictaminis. The surviving business letters from the period show a progressive discomfort with this style throughout the century and illustrate for us the dangers of relying on received rules in letter-writing.Keywords
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