ENGLISH ACROSS TIMEUnit 2: AOS 1

History and changes in the English Language.

The History of English p.p.139-145

Rabbit Recipe p.p. 125-127 What changes can you hear/ see? Changes in vocabulary and spelling (u/v,

y/i) Semantics: Hakkyd- Hack!

Why have these words changed? Culinary skills are different…We no longer

draw, gut, hack in the kitchen! Technology!

Dramatic changes

Even in a recipe there are dramatic changes: Other registers too!

These changes will leave a trace or link to a point of origin:……… these markings on the language represents the social/ cultural changes, values and IDENTITY…

Therefore Modern English is full of relics, fossils from Old, Middle and Early Modern English!

Reflection….

The English Language is like a fleet of juggernaut trucks that goes on regardless….

No form of linguistic engineering and not amount of linguistic legislation will prevent the cycles of change…

HOW did English evolve?

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-did-english-evolve-kate-gardoqui

OLD English: 500-1050: No agreed spelling, pronunciation and word order

600BC:

Celtic Language

55BC: Latin spoken in towns

Two languages Gradual push410AD:

460AD: Germanic tribes

arrive

Germanic dialect becomes the first form of Old English

597: Church and Latin influence: St Augustine

Addition of Latin influences: vocabularyWhy? Social use and relevance: Runic alphabet changes to Roman alphabet

Germanic tribes incorporated Latin borrowings

800s: Viking raidsAddition of Scandinavian influences: vocabulary (everyday words), pronouns [they/ them/ their], singular –s inflection, copular verb: to be, plural ‘-s’ By the end, English moves towards

‘structure’1050AD

Celtic tribes arrived Roman invasion: introduced LATIN

Celtic still native tongue

Roman invasion ends

OLD ENGLISH starts

Why does Latin continue to stream through?

Scandinavian influence: plurals http://

ed.ted.com/lessons/a-brief-history-of-plural-word-s-john-mcwhorter

OLD ENGLISH- What does English look at this point?

Page 4-7: The History of Englishx No set word order or agreed set of spelling/pronunciation:

leading to variation according to individual scribesx No set spaces between wordsx No set punctuationx Old English letters: From Runic to Latin/ Roman alphabetx Lacking in function words therefore reliant on inflections.x As a sense of word order became apparent, the use of

inflections declined (M.E)x Verb can appear before the subject OR end of a clause:

word order not fixedx Vocabulary is also lacking: Why? They don’t have words

for things they do not know yet...

Text example

Text example: Intro: page 5, H.E: page 7Annotate features of O.E Words derived from O.E Old English words have a muscular

quality: short direct and forceful

Activity: Translate Beowulf text: 700 AD

Middle English: 1050AD-1450AD: Moving towards STRUCTURE/ Social Usage- How does English survive???

1066AD: Norman Conquest

French influence: vocabulary: 10,000words, grammar: affixes

However, English remains: it was an already established language, strong oral tradition, considerable literature [Page 10 H.E]

French scribes started to write what they heard using French conventions: this gives us word order, function words ,affixes ,spelling- cont. laterDuring this period, French and Latin was the accepted written language, English was still the language of the common people: therefore there was division:- Upper class/ Barons: French- Lower class: English

1343-1400 CHAUCER: Chose to publish his writings in English- not French or Latin. He wanted to emphasise the importance of English and its social values. Made literature accessible to everybody1362AD:

Replaces French as the language of Law (Latin remains in records)

Will experience a gradual push

1384AD First publication of the bible in English (John Wycliffe).Latin was the language of Religious FaithWycliffe wanted it accessible to all.

English establishes within the bodies of lawEnglish establishes itself through religious sector

English gradually makes it way through all obstacles and challenges other Languages: French and Latin and aspects of SOCIAL life-Law, administration-Religion -Education -Literature

1400AD: Great Vowel shift: 7 vowel sounds change. This signifies the growing importance of the language- as change only happens if it is valued or needed.

Finally, towards the end of this period, English replaces Latin as the language of instruction (schools) except Oxford.

English establishes itself through Education

Linguistic change:Loss of a large number of inflections BUT there was still no agree system of spelling. Range of different spellings were greater than the O.E period!In addition the Scandinavian influences were not felt until the 13th centuryBeginning 90 % drops to 75 %: borrowings

What does M.E look like?

During this period English moves towards linguistic structure that is instigate through social and cultural shifts

French invasion: 10,000 words, French scribes write what they hear using French written conventions: French spelling, French suffixes, more word order therefore a reduction in O.E inflections

Spelling is still inconsistent y/I, u/v Social change: English begins to be recognised in

areas of Law, religion, education and literature. This establishes the social importance, reinforces use

Great vowel shift

Text: Chaucer- Canterbury Tales Prologue

Collection of over 20 stories Tales are in verse some in prose: story

telling context by a group of pilgrims that travel together- unprecedented diverse collection

The prize is a meal at a tavern It popularised the literary use of

vernacular [native language] English

Early Modern English: 1450-1700AD (Renaissance) We enter this period with English already establishing

itself but has yet to reach any state of stability: heading towards a standard. Before 1500s (16th Century there was no set rules!)

1476AD: William Caxton sets up printing press

Complications (spelling is not standard yet) due to printing- English is yet to be stable because: [H.E: p. 14]- Printers bought in their own spelling- Line alignment: shorten or lengthen words- Scholars wanted to indicate Latin origins of words: silent (Renaissance)

Standard English: (speaking, grammatical structures) London dialect was chosen. It was the centre of: education, law, commerce, etc... Therefore the chosen standard could easily spread and adopted by other regions

So now we have reach stability - English continues to grow and change as people begin to value and see the importance of English. Scholars and linguist begin to start ‘talking’ about grammar, vocabulary more and more ...English takes off during and after the 1500s.

1564AD:Shakespeare is

born

He uses London Dialect- it is the standard

He was and still is an influential writer because his plays were/is valued and read by many (therefore also ‘promoting’ London Dialect as standard)

-Vocabulary: borrowings, creation of new words- Spelling: addition/ loss of syllables- Grammar: structure

1600-1700AD:

Renaissance: New wave (2nd) of loan words arrive from: Italian, French, Greek, Spanish, Latin take 2, Portuguese

...And so as we move into the Modern English period, we have a stable form of English and a society that is increasingly discussing and seeing the importance of English.THE SEARCH FOR STABILITY continues, H.E: page 17-Still missing set spelling, set grammar because lack of authoritative text. - Wide spread prescriptive view against foreign influence and neologism entering the English language.

What does E.M.E look like?

Latin take 2: Prefixes: anti-, post-, pre-, Suffix: -ate, -ic, -al

Spelling: inconsistentVocabulary: influx of borrowingsShakespeare: changes in spelling, new words, more word order

Text: Shakespeare

EGEUS

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/shakespearean-dating-tips-anthony-john-peters Activity: using Shakespearean language

come up with a pick up line

Use the Iambic Pentameter: 10 syllables, stressed/ unstressed: ~/~/~/~/~/

Giving it a spin

Star Wars- if Shakespeare wrote it!A New Hope: Scene 2

Three little pigs- John Branyan

Twitterature: Macbeth

Modern English: 1700AD-present: Codification, establishing authority

and spreadThe 18th Century (1700s) became a time for authorisation

1755AD: Samuel Johnson publishes first dictionary.

His intentions were to banish “colloquial barbarianism” and determine correct usage of English FOR GOOD

English becomes the preferred language over Latin in everything: education, commerce, law, science etc...

Large numbers of handbooks become regulated

More dictionaries published

More grammar books published

NOTION of prescriptive grammar became highly topical

Industrial Revolution

Influential figures

English and Religion

During the fourteenth and fifteenth century, the movement was under way to force English into a central place in society.

It was the church that the English Language had its most violent struggle with.

During that time, Latin was the language of God..... who at that time controlled and pervaded all aspects of earthly life.

John Wycliffe

The central power of words in the fourteenth and fifteenth century England lay in the bible.

The prime mover in the fourteenth century was a scholar, John Wycliffe.

He inspired two biblical translations in 1384. More than 250 manuscripts still survives (They were all hand written).

After his death, despite being condemned by the church, his translations continued to be produced and circulate- even when it became a mortal crime to possess one.

Chaucer: Middle English

Most importantly he decided not to write in Latin, instead in English- London based English

High use of function words Period of ‘realism’: avoided

following literacy models He tailored his language to

suit everyday story telling- exposed language to everyday people- written to read out loud

Shakespeare: Early Modern English

Spelling and pronunciation Vocabulary Grammar