OT:
I always had a great interest in the historical context of how language was and is used.
It is an error of judgement to think that there is no class - in the sense of Karl Marx - related inhernet attitude to language, especially pompous language.
Obfuscation for example is a technique that is commonly used by the social "elite", the oligarchs, tyrants, religious leaders of all dominations, legal profession, politicians, banksters, twisted academics, you name them.
Do not forget that reading books was not allowed to the masses for centuries and censorship of knowledge was and is even more so today in the information age a weapon of choice.
Speaking of weapons, language itself can constitute a weapon, very much so. In general, language is a distinctive feature of the human mind to convey information and communicate.
In the 18th century there were no schools in the southern states of America that admitted black children to its free public schools. Black literacy would prove a serious threat to the slavery system. So laws were passed that forbid slaves to learn how to read or write, and in addition making it a serious crime for others to teach them.
Today there are roughly 35 million people on the planet held as slaves.
2014 Global Slavery Index - Walk Free Foundation - Global Slavery Index 2014
As for the class-conscious British society, upper class language (posh) certainly exists and still is expressed in bizarre class based shibboleths.
Fanks for nuffink!
Best
G