The Historical Roots of Business English and the Lingua Franca

Аннотация

English has been the main language of global business for almost a century. However, has this been the case
only for the last hundred years, or were other languages previously used for commercial communication? Today, English
is not merely a language but a lingua franca, that is, the central medium of interaction in international business. Its roots
extend far back in history, reaching beyond the Middle Ages. Business English should not be viewed as a fixed set of
rules; rather, it is a language shaped entirely by the needs of commerce. Its story begins on the bustling medieval docks,
where traders did not require perfect grammar but needed a practical means to negotiate and conclude deals. This environment
gave rise to hybrid trade languages, such as the Mediterranean Lingua Franca, which introduced some of the
earliest elements of genuine business jargon into English.