Human Geo 5.2 Questions Flashcards
How did the rise in the importance of the city of Rome 2,000 years ago bring a diffusion of its Latin language?
- At it’s height in the 2nd century, the Roman Empire extended from the Atlantic Ocean on the west to the Black Sea on the east and encompassed all alnds bordering the Mediterranean Sea.
- As the conquering Roman armies occupied the provinces of this empire, they brought Latin with them. In the process, the languages spoken by natives were extinguished or suppressed.
When did the evolution of Romance languages begin?
With the migration of Latin speakers throughout western and southern Europe that accompanied the rise of the Roman Empire. After its collapse, with the decline of communication among the former provinces, greater regional variations grew, and by the 8th century, regions had been isolated long enough for distinct languages to evolve.
Why have romance branches achieved worldwide importance? How was South America divided?
Because of the colonial activities of their European speakers.
The division of Central and South America into Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking regions resulted from a 1493 decision by Pope Alexander VI to give the west to Spain and the eastern part to Portugal. The Treaty of Tordesillas carried out the decision.
What is evidence that Indo-European originated with a single Proto-Indo-European (PIE) language?
- Individual Indo-European languages share common words for winter/snow but not for ocean. Therefore, original PIE speakers probably lived in a cold climate or one that had a winter season but didn’t come in contact with oceans.
- Individual Indo-European languages share words for some animals/trees (oak, bear, deer, beech) but other words are unshared (elephant, rice, bamboo). Therefore, PIE speakers lived where shared animals/trees are found, and the unshared words were added later (after they split into branches).
What is the Nomadic Warrior Theory?
-The first PIE speakers were the Kurgan people, earliest evidence being around 4300 BCE, near the border between Russia and Kazakhstan.
-The Kurgans were among the first people to domesticate horses and use chariots, and they migrated in search of grasslands for their animals. Between 3500 and 2500 BCE, Kurgan warriors conquered much of Europe and South Asia (military superiority).
What is the Sedentary Farmer Theory?
The first PIE speakers lived 2,000 years before the Kurgans, in the eastern part of present-day Turkey. Indo-European diffused into Europe and South Asia along with agricultural practices instead of military conquest. The language triumphed because its speakers became more numerous and prosperous by growing their own food instead of hunting.
The British Isles had been inhabited for thousands of years, but we know nothing of their early languages until….
Tribes called the Celts arrived around 2000 BCE, speaking Celtic languages. Around 450 CE, tribes from mainland Europe invaded, pushing the Celts into the remote northerm and western parts of Britain, including Cornwall and the highlands of Scotland and Wales.
What were the 3 tribes invading the British Isles?
The Angles from southern Denmark, the Jutes from northern Denmark, and the Saxons from northwestern Germany. Modern English has evolved primarily from the languages they spoke. Today, English people and others who trace their cultural heritage back to England are called Anglo-Saxons (after the 2 larger tribes).
What other peoples invaded England and added their languages to basic English?
Vikings from present-day Norway landed on the northeastern coast of England in the ninth century Although defeated in their effort to conquer the islands, many Vikings remained in the country, and enriched the language with new words, including bag, cake, and egg.
Where does the name England come from?
Angle’s land. The Angles came from a corner or angle, along the border between Denmark and Germany. At some time in history before written records, all Germanic people spoke a common language. The common origin of English with other Germanic languages can be reconstructed by analyzing language differenced that emerged after Germanic groups migrated and lived in isolation, allowing their langauges to evolve independently.
What was the Norman Invasion of England?
In 1066, the Normans (coming from present-day Normandy in France) conquered England. They establizhed French as England’s official language for the next 300 years. England’s leaders spoke French, but the majority of the people (with little education) didn’t speak French and continued using English.
When England lost control of Normandy in 1204 and entered a long period of conflict with France, English again became the country’s dominant language.
What did Parliament do after recognizing that nearly everyone in England was speaking English?
- They enacted the Statue of Pleading in 1362 to change the official language of court business to English, but continued to use French until 1489.
What was the new language formed during the 300-year period of French as England’s official language?
The Germanic used by the common people and the French used by the leaders mingled to form a new language: modern English owes its simpler, straightforward words (sky, horse, man, woman) to its Germanic roots, and its fancy, more elegant words (celestial, equestrian, masculine, femenine) to its French invaders.
How did English diffuse to the rest of the world?
- Diffused west to North America in the 17th century, with colonization. English’s position as the principal language of North America was secured after England defeated France in a battle in the 18th.
- With each region the British took control of, English became an official language (even if only the rulers and a few elite locals could speak it).
- The US diffused English to the Philippines in the 20th century (which Spain ceded to the US in 1899 after losing their war), and after Philippines gained independence in 1946, they kept English as an official language.
What is one of the most fundamental needs in a global society?
A common language for communication. In the modern world, the most important language of international communication is English. Its dominance has facilitated the diffusion of popular culture and science and the growth of international trade. However, those who forsake their native language must weigh the benefits of using English against the cost of losing a fundamental element of local cultural identity.
