William Barnes (1801 - 1886) was an English writer, poet, minister, and philologist.

He was a friend of Thomas Hardy and Gerard Manley Hopkins. He is known for his Dorset dialect poems.

Barnes had a strong interest in language; he was fluent in Greek, Latin and several modern European languages. He called for the purification of English by removal of Greek, Latin and foreign influences so that it might be better understood by those without a classical education. For example, the word "photograph" (<Gk. light+writing) would become "sun-print" (<Saxon). Other terms include "wortlore" (botany), "welkinfire" (meteor) and "nipperlings" (forceps).

This 'Pure English' resembles the 'blue-eyed English' later adopted by the composer Percy Grainger.

See also

• Anglish
• Languages in the United Kingdom
• British literature

Reference

• See The Rebirth of England and the English: The Vision of William Barnes by Andrew Phillips ISBN 1898281173