Language Change - Brief History Of The English Language Flashcards
Diachronic change
Studying historical development and evolution of language
Synchronic change
Studying language change at particular moment in time
Features of old English . 4
English developed from speech of angles, jutes and Saxons (Anglo Saxons)
Viking raids began from 793 until start of 1000s
English was a phonetic language - words spelt as they sounded
Meant little consistency in written language
Features of Middle English . 7
French and Latin believes to be more prestigious than English
French became dominant language whilst rest of country spoke versions of English, after Norman’s invade in 1066
English came to prominence towards end of Middle English period, Chaucer choosing to write in English rather than in French
Black Death kept English alive
1337 -100 years war began and France become enemy - English spoken even more freely
1400 -Gvs changed way words were pronounced - vowels became shorter
Early Modern English features. 3
Caxton introduced printing press (1476)
Growing interest and pride in English as a language; Shakespeare, king James, and scientists
1604 - Cawdrey published dictionary purely in English
Modern English features. 8
Increase in travel as well as British emotes brought back new words (loan words)
Contractions were commonly used
Grammarians proposed correct ways of speaking
1700 onwards - English becoming more standardised
Swift’s proposal
Johnson’s dictionary
Lowths laws
School compulsory until 12
Present day English features . 1
Influence of media technology and travel helped establish English as global language eg scurve model, random fluctuation, functional theory etc
