French element

Scandinavian element

Latin element

Foreign elements in Modern English

English German Swedish

man mann man

harm harm harm

grey grau grã

The occurrence or non-occurrence of corresponding words in related languages is a proof of their common origin. But, of course, the word could be borrowed form the same source into different languages, especially if we speak about languages in modern times.

(borrowings)

As we know, borrowed words comprise more than half the vocabulary of the language. These borrowings entered the language from many sources, forming consequently various etymological strata. The principal ones here are as follows:

- the Latin element

- the Scandinavian element

- the French element.

The first Latin words entered the language of the forefathers of the English nation before they came to Britain. It happened during a direct intercourse and trade relations with the peoples of the Roman Empire. They mainly denote names of house hold items and products:

apple, cheese, pear, plum, pepper, dish, kettle, etc.

Already on the Isles from the Romanized Celts they borrowed such words as:

Street, wall, mill, tile, port, caster (in such words as Lancaster, Winchester)

Words of this kind denoted objects of Latin material culture.

Latin words such as:

altar, bishop, candle, church, devil, monk, nun, pope, psalm, etc.

were borrowed after the introduction of the Christian religion (7^th century), which is reflected in their meaning.

We mentioned these words as Lain, but many of them were Greek borrowings into Latin such as:

Bishop, church, devil

Another major group of Latin borrowings appeared in the connection with the revival of learning and science (15^th-16^th centuries):

antenna, index, data, strata, phenomena, formula, etc.

Words of Scandinavian origin entered the language in the period between the 8^th and the 10^th centuries due to the Scandinavian invasion and settlement of Scandinavians on the Isles.

sky, skin, skill, scare, score, scald, bask

give, get, forgive, forget, again, gate, game, kid, kilt, egg, drag, flag, leg, hug, leg, log, rig

There are also personal names of the same origin ending in – son

Jefferson, Johnson

or place names ending in –ly, -thorp, -toft (originally meaning “village”)

Whitly, Althorp, Lowestoft.

The French element in the English vocabulary is a large and important one. Words of this origin entered the language in the Middle and New English periods.

Among Middle English borrowings we mention earlier borrowings, their source being Norman French – he dialect of William the Conqueror (1204)

Later Middle English borrowings have as their source Parisian French.(13-15)

Government, parliament, justice, peace, prison, court, crime, etc.

Later Middle English borrowings are colloquial words:

air, river, mountain, branch, cage, calm, cost, table, chair.

French borrowings of the New English period entered the language in the 17^th century – the time of the Restoration of monarchy in Britain.

aggressor, apartment, campaign, caprice, caress, console, coquette, carte blanche, etc.

Later borrowings:

garage, magazine, aviation, policy, machine.

aviation, social, Asia, soldier, jury, literature, pleasure, treasure

Дата добавления: 2014-01-11