History of British English Flashcards
What is etymology?
The study of the origin of words and the way they change in meaning.
What is Diachronic Change?
The historical development of language.
What is Synchronic Change?
The study of language change at a particular moment in time.
Explain the Old English Period of Language
The languages of Britain were Celtic. English developed from the speech of the Angles, Jutes and Saxons. Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse had significant influence; vocabulary being drawn from both. English was largely phonetic, with little consistency in writing.
Explain The Middle English Period of Language
French was the verbal language of the court and administration (due to the Norman invasion), whilst Latin was the written language (due to the Church). English became more prominent due to writers, such as Chaucer, using English to write, rather than French. Dialectal differences remained around the country.
Explain the Early Modern Period of Language
Caxton introduced the printing press (1476), contributing to the establishment of a standard English. The SE dialect was used as the basis for this. The popularity of English spread to due English writers and playwrights. James 1 commissioned the Authorised Version of the Bible.
Explain Modern English Period of Language
The English language had grown at an incredible rate, with words borrowed from Latin, Greek and further afield; the spread of the British Empire also influenced this. Grammarians began to propose correct ways of speaking and writing.
Explain Present English Period of Language
English has continued to develop and the influence of the media, technology and travel has helped to establish English as a global language.
Who was Robert Lowth?
A prescriptivist. Introduced the first grammar book for the English Language.
What was the Inkhorn Controversy?
The extended dispute from the 15th to 16th century over whether English should continue to add words from Greek and Latin.
What is the Great Vowel Shift?
Changed the way words were pronounced – vowels became shorter, so leef became life and teem became time.
What did William Caxton produce in 1476?
Caxton introduced the printing press from Europe. Caxton chose the East Midlands (London, Oxford, Cambridge) dialect to print works in and this soon became the most prestigious form of English. Many texts could now be mass-produced which meant that there was a move towards standardisation in how they were printed
How did Shakespeare influence the development of English?
Wrote down his plays in English. Created new words and changed word classes - moving nouns to verbs, etc.
What was written in 1611?
King James I Bible - translated latin into English
What did Robert Cawdrey publish in 1604?
Published a dictionary solely in English. This was the first single-language English dictionary ever published. Cawdrey wanted the English Language to be better organised, and he felt that the dictionary would help the reader to understand challenging words and be able to read and write ‘properly’. He starts the dictionary with an address to the reader in which he criticises the poor standard of English spoken by many members of the public
