Examination questions. 3rd Year, 5th Term
Academic Year 2015 / 2016
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English as an Indo-European language. The main branches of IndoEuropean languages.
Old and Modern Germanic languages, their classification.
Common linguistic features of the Germanic languages. The Grimm’s
law.
English as a West-Germanic language. Its relations to some other
members of the group.
Periodization of the English language history. Henry Sweet’s theory.
Other theories.
The main historical events affecting the development of the English
language. Old English period.
The main historical events affecting the development of the English
language. Middle English period.
The main historical events affecting the development of the English
language. Modern English period.
Native English vocabulary. Features of native words.
Development of English vocabulary in Old English period. Different
sources of borrowing.
Development of English vocabulary in Middle English period.
Different sources of borrowing.
Development of English vocabulary in Modern English period.
Different sources of borrowing.
The process of word-formation in Old and Middle English.
New ways of word-formation in Modern English.
Old English dialects and written works in them.
Old English Grammar. The nominal system.
Old English Grammar. The verb and non-finites.
Old English phonetics. Vowel and consonant systems.
The main features of Old English syntax.
Changes in the vowel and consonant system in Middle and Modern
English.
Tendency towards simplification in Middle and Modern English (the
nominal system).
Tendency towards simplification in Middle and Modern English (the
verbal system).
The standardization of the English language (first grammars,
dictionaries, newspapers).
Transition of synthetic English into analytical English.
Old English spelling. The development of the alphabet.
English spelling conventions. Reasons for the complexity of Modern
English spelling.
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Was it easier to learn English 1000 years ago?
Which of distinctive aspects of English morphology and syntax
produce problems for learners coming from other countries?
Explain the notion of the functional universality of Modern English.
Modern trends in the development of English (World Englishes,
English for specific purposes).
National varieties of the English language (American, Canadian
language).
National varieties of the English language (Australian, New Zealand
English).
English-based pidgins and creoles and their features.
What is the future of English, in your opinion?
Terminology
Living and dead languages
Derived words
Natural and artificial languages
Compound words
Vernacular
Affixation
Synthetic and analytical forms
Conversion
Lingua franca
Abbreviation
Indo-European cognates
Blending
The internal reconstruction method
Shortening
Language family
Language tree
Stress-shift
Proto-language (parent language)
Analogical word formation
Daughter language
Sound interchange
Germanic languages
Narrowing – widening
Chief characteristics of Germanic
Amelioration – Pejoration
languages
Native words
Grimm’s law
Borrowings
Verner’s Law
Suppletive forms
Alliteration
Inflection
Kenning
Strong, weak verbs
Compound metaphor
Futhorc runic alphabet
London Standard
thorn (Þ þ), wynn (Ƿ ƿ), eth (Ð ð),
Chancery English
yogh (Ȝ ȝ)
Complexity of English spelling
ligature ash (Æ æ), o-e ligature ethel
(Œ œ)
The Great Vowel Shift
Old English dialects: Kentish, West
Hybrids
Saxon, Mercian, Northumbrian
Etymological doublets
Vowel gradation
Functional universality of MdE
Ablaut
Inkhorn terms
Metaphesis
Purism
Declension
Prescriptive / descriptive grammar
Conjugation
Standard English
Paradigm
Received Pronunciation
Homonym
National varieties of English
Anomalous verbs
Pidgins
Preterit-present verbs
Creoles
Inverted word order
Transported word order