English Across Time

Question 1

“The English language is not fixed and has undergone myriad changes over the centuries; absorbing words, phrases and spellings from all over the globe”
The Guardian
(Old Example)

Answer 1

Middle English-
Standard English was completely changed by
Norman Conquest 1066 -> ^ in Norman-French speaking for nobility.
Over 10,000 borrowings eg: Legal terms — felony and justice
Blends eg: cottage (cote F) (age E)

Question 2

“The English language is not fixed and has undergone myriad changes over the centuries; absorbing words, phrases and spellings from all over the globe”
The Guardian
(Modern example)

Answer 2

Alison Flood -call to change sexist definitions
‘if you are a woman, the dictionary will refer to you as a “bitch” or a “maid”’
Change in how language is acceptable and sexism

Question 3

“ these innovations …demonstrate a creative repurposing of symbols and marks to a new age of technology”
-The conversation
(Old example)

Answer 3

Industrial revolution -> new neologisms for new creations eg: train/ computer
-> creativity in language

Question 4

“ these innovations …demonstrate a creative repurposing of symbols and marks to a new age of technology”
-The conversation
(Modern example)

Answer 4

Pandemic -> new words for new things eg: COVID-19 = abbreviation of Coronavirus 19
& old words become popular again eg:
Pandemic = minimal usage until 2019

Question 5

“Younger people tend to be the ones who innovate in all aspects of life”
-Shariatmadari
(Modern example)

Answer 5

Teens-> teenspeak
New words every generation
Eg: ship - semantic shift
Cap - semantic shift

Question 6

“ increasingly common to practice of introducing oneself… by the set of pronouns one prefers”
- Reuters
(Modern Example)

Answer 6

^ in personal expression of gender identity = becoming an important value in society -> people using new pronouns
Eg: Ze/ Zir