THE ETIMOLOGY OF ENGLISH WORDS The sources

THE ETIMOLOGY OF ENGLISH WORDS

The sources of language history. Every living language changes through time. No records of linguistic challenges have ever been kept. Most changes pass unnoticed by contemporaries. The history of English has been reconstructed on the basis of written reports. The earliest reports are dated in the seventh century.

But the development of English began a long time before it was first recorded. The information about English language history were found in the works of ancient geographers, especially Romans.

Evolution of language. The first century: Most of the territory of modern Europe is occupied by the Roman Empire. Among the inhabitants of the continent are Celtic tribes or barbarian, as the Romans called them. Their language contained only Indo-European elements. After a number of wars between Celts and Romans this two peoples came in peaceful contact. Trade was cared on. And Celtic people got knowledge of new useful things.

The first among them were things to eat. Celts knew only meat and milk. From Romans they learned cheese and butter. As they didn’t know the words in their language, they began to use Latin words to name them. Celtic people learned fruits and vegetables and the Latin names of them came in their vocabulary.

Examples: pear – pearum plum – plarum paper – paiper cup- cupper kitchen – kukina port – portus wine - winum

The fifth century: The Germanic tribes occupied the land. It was the period, when two languages mixed with each other. The seventh century: This period was significant for Christianization of England. Latin was the official language of Christian church. The spread of Christianity was accompanied by the new period of Latin borrowings. Borrowings were connected with everything associated with church. Examples: priest, bishop, monk, candle. Also educational words were all Latin borrowings, because

End of the eight century to the middle of the eleventh century: England underwent several Scandinavian invasions. Examples of Scandinavian borrowings: to call, to take, to bow, husband, window, weak, etc. Some of this words are easily recognizable Scandinavian borrowings by the sk combination: sky, skirt, etc. Some of English words changed their meaning under the influence: Bread (meant peace) got it modern meaning by association with Scandinavian brot. Dream (meant joy) got the Scandinavian meaning сон,

1066 year – The battle of Hastings. The period of Norman’s conquest began. This epoch is famous for linguistic borrowings. Examples: 1. Administrative words: state, government, parliament, power 2. Low-terms: court, judge, crime, prison 3. Military terms: army, war, soldier, officer, battle 4. Educational terms: pupil, lesson, pencil 5. Some terms of every day life: supper, dinner, autumn,

The renaissance period In England this period was marked by development in science, in culture and in growing interest to the Civilization of Rom, Greek and their languages. That’s why Greek and Latin borrowings came. Examples: 1. Abstract words: moderate, intelligent, permanent 2. Scientific terms: status, philosophy, method, music, phenomenon

It was the period of extensive cultural contact between European states. Many words from European languages were borrowed: 1. French borrowings: police, regime, technique, science, ballet, etc. 2. Italian borrowings: piano, opera, violin, etc.

The history of language is far from its end. About 70% of English words are borrowings. We can classify English as a language of international origin. But of course there a lot of native elements, that are used in every day life: house, child, water, good, bad, etc.

Indo-European group of languages By Indo-European element are meant words of roots common to all or most languages of the group. Examples: • Father , mother, son, daughter • Nose, lips • Food, tree, corn • Cow, swine, goose • Numerals from 1 to 100 • Stand, sit, know • Red, new, sad • etc.

By Germanic elements are meant words of roots common to all or most Germanic languages: Hat, hand, arm, finger, bar, fox, winter, summer, spring, sea, land, room, boat, sheep, green, blue, grey, white, to see, to speak, to tell, to answer, to give, to drink…

Why are words borrowed? This question concerns the historical circumstances which stimulate the borrowing process. When two nations come into close contact borrowings became natural. The nature of the contact may be different.