New Hampshire State Language

English Adopted: June 1, 1995

New Hampshire Law

New Hampshire State Language: English

The following information was excerpted from the New Hampshire Statutes, Title 1, Chapter 2, Sections 3-C:1 through 3-C:4.

TITLE I THE STATE AND ITS GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER 3-C OFFICIAL STATE LANGUAGE
Sections 3-C:1 through 3-C:4

3-C:1 Official State Language. -

I. The official language of the state of New Hampshire shall be English. English is designated as the language of all official public documents and records, and of all public proceedings and nonpublic sessions.

II. For the purposes of this chapter, "official public documents and records" are all documents officially compiled, published, or recorded by the state.

III. For the purposes of this chapter, "public proceedings and nonpublic sessions" mean those proceedings and sessions as defined in RSA 91-A, and includes the information recorded at such proceedings and sessions.

Source. 1995, 157:1, eff. July 31, 1995.

3-C:2 Exceptions. - The provisions of this chapter shall not apply:

I. To all public proceedings between the state of New Hampshire and the province of Quebec when, in the opinion of the state administrator involved in such proceedings, it may be necessary to conduct such proceedings between Quebec and New Hampshire wholly or partially in French, and to use official public documents and records during the public proceedings, which are written wholly or partially in French.

II. To instruction in foreign language courses, or other requirements of the state university system.

III. To instruction designed to aid students with limited English in a timely transition and integration into the general education system.

IV. To the promotion of international commerce, tourism, and sporting events.

V. When deemed to interfere with needs of the justice system.

VI. When the public good, public safety, health, or emergency services require the use of other languages.

VII. When expert testimony or witnesses may require a language other than English; provided, however, that for purposes of deliberation, decision making, or recordkeeping, the official version of such testimony or commentary shall be the officially translated English-language version.

Source. 1995, 157:1, eff. July 31, 1995.

3-C:3 Employment. - No person shall be denied employment with the state or with any political subdivision of the state based solely upon that person's lack of facility in a foreign language, except when related to bona fide job needs reflected in the exceptions listed in RSA 3-C:2.

Source. 1995, 157:1, eff. July 31, 1995.

3-C:4 Construction. - This chapter shall not be construed in any way to infringe on the rights of citizens under the state constitution or the constitution of the United States in the use of language in activities or functions conducted in the private sector. No agency or officer of the state or of any political subdivision of the state shall place any restrictions or requirements regarding language usage for businesses operating in the private sector other than in official documents, forms, submissions, or other communications directed to governmental agencies and officers, which communications shall be in English as recognized in this chapter.

Source. 1995, 157:1, eff. July 31, 1995.

Sources...

New Hampshire Statutes. New Hampshire General Court. 2009. 15 April 2009
Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S. State Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols: A Historical Guide Third Edition, Revised and Expanded. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 3 Sub edition, 2001.

Additional Information

What are the origins of the English Language?: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated3.

A Brief History of English: by Dr. L. Kip Wheeler 1998-2014.

The History of English: How Englsih went from an obsure Germainic dialect to a global language, by Luke Mastin.

More symbols & emblems: Complete list of official New Hampshire state symbols.

The English Language
by David Crystal

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, by David Crystal. 506 pages. Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (August 4, 2003) The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language is one of the publishing phenomena of recent times. Rarely has a book so packed with accurate and well researched factual information been so widely read and popularly acclaimed. This Second Edition now presents an overhaul of the subject for a new generation of language-lovers. The length of the book has increased by 16 pages and there are 44 new illustrations, extensive new material on world English and Internet English, and a complete updating of statistics, further reading suggestions and other references.

The Story of English
McCrum, MacNeil, and Cran

The Story of English: Third Revised Edition, by Robert McCrum, Robert MacNeil, William Cran. 496 pages. Penguin (Non-Classics); 3 edition (December 31, 2002) Originally paired with a major PBS miniseries, this book presents a stimulating and comprehensive record of spoken and written English-from its Anglo-Saxon origins some two thousand years ago to the present day, when English is the dominant language of commerce and culture with more than one billion English speakers around the world. From Cockney, Scouse, and Scots to Gulla, Singlish, Franglais, and the latest African American slang, this sweeping history of the English language is the essential introduction for anyone who wants to know more about our common tongue.

A History of the English Language, by Albert C. Baugh, Thomas Cable. 447 pages. Prentice Hall; 5 edition (November 19, 2001) For courses in the History of the English Language (English Composition). Comprehensive and balanced, this classic exploration of the history of the English language combines internal linguistic history and external cultural history--from the Middle Ages to the present. Students are encouraged to develop both an understanding of present-day English and an enlightened attitude toward questions affecting the language today.