Introduction Flashcards
Full Family Tree of the English Language
Indo-European (or Indo-Germanic) — Germanic/Proto-Germanic — West Germanic — English (Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, Modern English)
English Periods (acc. to Herbst/Stoll/Westermayer, 1991), name and dates
Old English — 450 (700) - 1100
Middle English — 1100 - 1500
Early Modern English — 1500 - 1700
Modern English — from 1700
Name the four periods of the English Language
Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, Modern English
What are the dates of the four periods of the English Language
Old English — 450 (700) - 1100
Middle English — 1100 - 1500
Early Modern English — 1500 - 1700
Modern English — from 1700
Are the dates of the four periods of the English Language fixed? Why?
They are not because the different viewpoints are influenced by different events in the English history.
What is the difference between synchronic and diachronic linguistics?
Synchronic linguistics studies a language at a specific point in time, focusing on its structure and usage without considering historical context. In contrast, diachronic linguistics examines the evolution and changes of a language over time, analysing how and why these changes occur.
Definition: Synchronic linguistics
Synchronic linguistics studies a language at a specific point in time, focusing on its structure and usage without considering historical context.
Definition: Diachronic linguistics
Diachronic linguistics examines the evolution and changes of a language over time, analysing how and why these changes occur.
What is the key contribution of the family tree of language?
- identification of regular correspondence between languages spoken in vastly different areas
- attribution of these similarities to descent from a common ancestor
- recognition of different degrees of similarity (and by implication: relatedness)
