1. 1 ON THE HISTORY OF ENGLISH GRAMMARS Flashcards
What was the term “grammar” applied to in English until the 17th century?
It was applied only to the study of Latin, and Latin grammar was the only grammar learned in schools (grammar schools)
When were the first grammars of English written?
There were no grammars of English until the end of the 16th century
Who wrote one of the most popular Latin grammars in English?
William Lily wrote one of the most popular Latin grammars in English
When was William Lily’s Latin grammar published?
It was published in the first half of the 16th century and went through many editions.
Why was William Lily’s Latin grammar important for English grammar?
It set a standard for the arrangement of material and made it possible to present English forms using the same terminology as Latin grammar.
What did Latin grammatical paradigms with English equivalents allow?
They allowed the presentation of English forms in a similar way to Latin grammar.
How is William Lily’s “Latin Grammar” viewed in relation to English grammars?
It is considered the precursor of the earliest English grammars.
Who wrote the first English grammar and when?
William Bullokar wrote the first English grammar, titled “Bref Grammar for English,” in 1585.
How many noun cases were in Bullokar’s grammar compared to Latin?
Bullokar’s grammar had 5 cases of nouns, while Latin had 6 cases.
What typical features did early grammarians notice about English?
They noticed features that made the structure of English different from Latin.
How can the history of English grammars be divided?
It can be divided into two periods: 1) Pre-scientific grammar (end of the 16th century to about 1900); 2) Scientific grammar (after 1900).
What are the two types of grammars in the pre-scientific period?
1) Prenormative grammars (starting with Bullokar’s “Bref Grammar for English”); 2) Prescriptive (normative) grammars.
When did prescriptive (normative) grammar replace prenormative grammar?
By the middle of the 18th century, when many grammatical phenomena of English had been described and language norms were established.
What does prescriptive (normative) grammar do?
It states strict rules of grammatical usage and sets a standard of correctness for learners.
What was one of the most influential prescriptive grammars in the 18th century?
Robert Lowth’s “A Short Introduction to English Grammar,” first published in 1762 in London.
Which successful grammar was published in the U.S. in the late 18th century?
Lindley Murray’s “English Grammar Adapted to the Different Classes of Learners,” first published in 1795 in New York.
How many editions did Lindley Murray’s grammar undergo?
It underwent 50 editions in its original form and more than 120 in an abridged version.
Which 19th-century normative grammars remained influential in the 20th century?
W. Lennie’s “Principles of English Grammar” (99th edition in 1905) and J.C. Nesfield’s “English Grammar Past and Present” (still on sale in the 1960s)
How many editions did J.C. Nesfield’s grammar undergo?
It underwent 25 editions in different variants.
Front: What are modern prescriptive grammars usually called?
They are usually called practical grammars of English.
When did the system of traditional grammar become established?
By the end of the 19th century.
What type of grammar appeared after traditional grammar?
Scientific grammar.
How did scientific grammar differ from prescriptive grammar?
It was both descriptive and explanatory.
Who was Henry Sweet and what was his contribution to linguistics?
A British linguist of the 19th century who contributed to the development of descriptions of living language, particularly in phonetics and grammar.
