History of the English
Language
Language Terminology
linguistics:
The study of the nature and structure of language and languages.
cognate:
Descended from a common ancestor; of the same family.
etymology:
An explanation of the origin of a word and a description of the changes it has gone
through in its history.
slang:
Language that is generally new and highly informal. It is often used by a particular
group of people to set themselves apart from others. Often slang words do not stay
around long enough to be included in a dictionary. Slang is not considered appropriate
in formal writing.
colloquialism:
A word, phrase or form of pronunciation that is acceptable in casual conversation,
but not in formal, written communication. Although informal, colloquialisms are more
acceptable than slang.
vernacular:
Vernacular refers to the native language of a country or a locality. In general
linguistics, it is used to describe local languages as opposed to official standards or
global languages. It is sometimes applied to non-standard dialects of a global
language.
coin:
To invent a new word or phrase.
usage:
The customary use of words, expressions, and language constructions as
opposed to what is prescribed.
lexicon:
A special vocabulary; hence, a list of words.
jargon:
Terminology which has been especially defined in relationship to a specific
activity, profession, or group. In other words, the term covers the language
used by people who work in a particular area of who have a common interest.
lingo:
Similar to jargon—a vocabulary used by a particular group.
euphemism:
The use of a word or phrase to replace another and that is considered less
offensive or less vulgar than the word or phrase it replaces.
vulgarity:
An offensive or obscene word or phrase.
blasphemy:
Expressing disrespect for God or for something sacred.
profanity:
Profanity has traditionally been used to refer to items not belonging to the
church. Now it is understood as cursing, vulgar, or irreverent speech or
action.
swear word:
A word considered taboo and impolite or offensive.
"A Brief Look at the Evolution of the English Language“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuY8-2EbWRs
Old English (c. 1000 AD)
Faeder ur pu pe eart on heofonum, si pin nama gehalgod. To becume pin rice. Gewurpe pin
willa on eorcan swa swa on heofonum. Urne gedaeghwamlican hlaf syle us to daeg. And
forgyf us ure gyltas, swa swa we forgyfae urum gyltedum. And ne gelaed pu us on
costnungen ac alys us of yfele. Sodlice.
Middle English (c. 1400 AD)
Oure fadir that art in heuenes halowid be thi name, thi kyngdom come to, be thi wille don
in erthe es in heuene, yeue to us this day oure bread ouir other substance, & foryeue to us
oure dettis, as we forgeuen to oure dettouris, & lede us not in to temptacion: but delyuer us
from yuel, amen.
Early Modern English
Our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdome come. Thy will be
done, in earth as it is in heaven. Giue vs this day our dayly bread. And forgiue vs our debts,
as we forgiue our debters. And leade vs not into temptation, but deliuer vs from euill: for
thine is the kingdome, and the power, and the glory, for euer, Amen.
Contemporary English
Our Father, who is in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come into
being. May your will be followed on earth, just as it is in heaven. Give us this day our food
for the day. And forgive us our offenses, just as we forgive those who have offended us. And
do not bring us to the test. But free us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory
are yours forever. Amen.
(http://benturner.com/other/english.php)
1.
What is a dialect?
Regional differences in pronunciation, grammar, words and
expressions, and in their meanings.
2. Using the chart on page 340, trace the roots of the English
language.
Indo European (5000 years ago)
Anglo-Friesen
English
Germanic
West branch
3. What years are considered the period of Old English?
Old English 450 – 1100; Roman invasion under Julius Caesar 55
BCE then again 45 AD, they would control Britain for 400
years, taking us to the middle of 5th century.
4. Who are the Germanic tribes?
The Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons and Jutes) invaded Britain
(drove the Celts to Wales, Ireland and Scotland) .
5. What are Anglo-Saxon and Old English?
The blend of dialects resulting from the German invasions
creates Anglo-Saxon = Old English.
6. How much of Old English is found in Modern English?
Accounts for 1/5 of our words.
7. Look at the chart on page 344. Translate the list starting
with “mann”.
mann = man wïf = wife cild = child hūs = house mete = meat
lēaf = leaf horn = horn hearpe = harp hæt = hat gyrdel = girdle
glof = glove etan = eat drincan = drink slāēpan = sleeping
8. What other languages influenced the development of English
at this time?
Latin (courtesy of St. Augustine and his monks) and Scandinavian
9. Who were the Vikings?
Scandinavian invaders arrived during the 8th and 9th centuries.
Intermarriages with Anglo-Saxons would bring Old Norse words
into useage.
10. What is Beowulf? Why is it important?
One of the earliest known pieces of writing. It is an epic poem
written in the early 700s. The story reflects the customs and
traditions of early Old English (use of kennings = hyphenated word
blends to compensate for a limited lexicon; e.g. whale-road = sea)
11. What years are considered Middle English?
1100 – 1450 referred to as the Medeival times or Middle Ages.
KINDERLY
kinderly is now my coming
iInto this werld with thres and cry,
litel and povere is min having,
britel and sone i falle from hi,
high,
scharpe and strong is my deying,
I ne woth whinder schal I,
Foul and stinkande is my roting,
On me, Jhesu, you have mercy!
12. Who were the Normans?
My arrival here is natural
Into this world with tears and crying;
What I have is not much, and poor at that,
Frail and all too quickly I have fallen from on
My death is sharp and severe,
I do not know where I am going,
Foul and stinking, I rot,
O Jesus, have mercy on me!
Middle English
Norman invaders under William the Conquerer would take over
Britain. They would introduce French to the upper classes and
increase the English language by as estimated 10 000 words (many of
which are synonyms for English words; e.g. odour = smell. French
additions typically were multi-syllabic, whereas the Old English words
are most often are a single syllable.
13. Who wrote the Canterbury Tales?
About The Canterbury Tales:
Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories in a
frame story, between 1387 and 1400. It is the story of a group of thirty
people who travel as pilgrims to Canterbury (England). The pilgrims, who
come from all layers of society, tell stories to each other to kill time while
they travel to Canterbury. He never finished his enormous project and even
the completed tales were not finally revised. Scholars are uncertain about
the order of the tales. As the printing press had yet to be invented when
Chaucer wrote his works, The Canterbury Tales has been passed down in
several handwritten manuscripts.
About General Prologue:
The General Prologue is the key to The Canterbury tales that narrates
about the gathering of a group of people in an inn that intend to go on a
pilgrimage to Canterbury (England) next morning. In the General Prologue,
the narrator of The Canterbury Tales, who is one of the intended pilgrims,
provides more or less accurate depictions of the members of the group and
describes why and how The Canterbury Tales is told. If we trust the
General Prologue, Chaucer determined that each pilgrim should tell two
tales on the way to Canterbury and two tales on the way back. The host of
the inn offers to be and is appointed as judge of the tales as they are told
and is supposed to determine the best hence winning tale.
http://www.librarius.com/canttran/gptrfs.htm
From The Canterbury Tales by
Geoffrey Chaucer:
General Prologue
Here bygynneth the Book of the
Tales of Caunterbury
Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
When in April the sweet showers fall
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote That pierce March's drought to the root and all
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
And bathed every vein in liquor that has power
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
To generate therein and sire the flower;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
When Zephyr also has with his sweet breath,
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
Filled again, in every holt and heath,
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
The tender shoots and leaves, and the young sun
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,
His half-course in the sign of the Ram has run,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
And many little birds make melody
That slepen al the nyght with open eyeThat sleep through all the night with open eye
(So priketh hem Nature in hir corages);
(So Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage)
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages
Then folk do long to go on pilgrimage,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes
And palmers to go seeking out strange strands,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
To distant shrines well known in distant lands.
And specially from every shires ende
And specially from every shire's end
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
Of England they to Canterbury went,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke
The holy blessed martyr there to seek
That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seeke. Who helped them when they lay so ill and weak
14. How did Old English change to Middle English?
1 – loss of ð (th) 2 – alphabet modernized
3 – suffixes showing word
relationships disappear 4 – word order 5 – French word origins
15. What years do we consider Modern English?
1450 - present
16. Who was Johannes Gutenberg? William Caxton?
German, Johannes Gutenbury invented the printing press in 15th
c. Caxton would pring the first books in English in 1476. This
allows spelling and syntax (word order and arrangement) to
become standardized. Therefore Caxton’s dialogue becomes
the dominate one = standard English. Reading materials can be
mass produced leading to increased literacy and the beginning
of popular literature.
17. Why were the Tudors important?
British monarchs launch the modern age with exploration,
colonization and trade spreading the British language
18. Why are there so many different dialects in the United
States?
Three waves of settlement from different parts of England, their
subsequent migration and the merging with immigrants from other
countries accounts for the variety.
19. What are the two official languages of Canada?
English and French
20. Who was John Cabot? Jacques Cartier?
Cabot who is British arrives in 1497, Cartier who is French
arrived in 1520. They were early explorers who would be followed
by settlers from their homelands. In the late 1700s, the Acadian
French were deported to Louisianna (explains French Patois
there), British Loyalists from the U.S. take their place first in
the East, then migrating to Upper Canada.
21. What is Canadian English?
Canadian English blends American and British English
22. How has Canada broadened its vocabulary?
With additional aboriginal and immigrant influences, we take on new
words and force them to fit our grammar and syntax.
23. Summarize in point form the role of English in the Caribbean,
Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, former Colonial
Africa, South Asia, South Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Caribbean – African slaves brought to the Caribbean and Americas;
they were forced into mixed language groups in order to eliminate
their ability to communicate with one another; this results in new
pidgin languages mixing French, Spanish, Portuguese and even
African dialects.
Australia – used as a “penal colony” Australia is settled by British
immigrants. Speech characteristics reflect these origins.
New Zealand – a British colony the British accent is stronger here,
a distinct N.Z. vocabulary develops to identify them as different
from Aussies and to incorporate Maori words and expressions.
South Africa – European settlers began to arrive in the late 18th c.; a
similar accent to that of Australia, this English dialect called Afrikaans
was spoken by the white South African community but has gained
popularity within the black population as a opportunity to fight
oppression
Former Colonial Africa – by 1914 the entire African continent is divided
into European colonies; British colonies monopolized the Western coast;
the language developed here is more akin to that of South Africa.
South Asia – British rule in trade and eventual rule in India established
English as the language of British power, subjugating the people of India
to their rule.
South Pacific –18th c. British missions and subsequent American
presence creates a strong presence of English in the area
Southeast Asia – given the power of the British and Americans in global
politics during the last half of the last millennium, the English language
became necessary fro education and advancement… even becoming the
second official language in Hong Kong!