THE ROOTS AND SPREAD OF ENGLISH

Question 1

Define “society”

Answer 1

people drawn together for (a) certain purpose(s)

Question 2

Define “sociolinguistic”

Answer 2

• investigation of the role of language in society
• correlations between independent social variables and dependent linguistic variables

Question 3

Etymology

Answer 3

Study of word origins

Question 4

Cognates

Answer 4

• Etymology related to words in different languages with common origin
• not loanwords because it goes back to the same origin

Parent language: daughter language 1 and 2
- Sister languages: originally dialects of parent language
- Parent language: may be a reconstructed proto-language
- Germanic

Question 5

Loanwords

Answer 5

words adopted from another language and fully integrated into the native system (not cognates)

Question 6

Why did French “endanger” English after the Norman Conquest?

Answer 6

1066: French became the language of the ruling class, education and law + literature.
- Knowing French gave advantages (English did not)

Question 7

Where might English be “endangering” other languages at present?

Answer 7

• In many post-colonial states: career success required English
• Local languages have limited written use
• Areas with many mother tongues: more widely used, replace all mother tongues
• Taken over certain domains in Europe, large influence on native languages (example: in vocabulary)

Question 8

Auxiliary Language

Answer 8

• sometimes synonymous with lingua franca
• developed language with the purpose of being politically and culturally neutral
  Example: International Sign Language

Question 9

problems in language distinction

Answer 9

• political division: mutually intelligible languages, but divided as different (Bosnian vs Montenegrin)
• political unity: not mutually intelligible languages (Mandarin and Cantonese)
• Strict linguistic rules: sound change, vocabulary and literature (Low German = language, Australian German = dialect)
• Script and religion: mutually intelligible languages (Hindu vs Urdu)
• Social status or prestige: French and Haitian Creole (“Bad frech”?)

Question 10

Inner circle country

Answer 10

• UK, USA, Carribean, Canada, Australia, NZ
• most people are highly proficient in English. Used in education, politics and law etc. Most people don’t speak other languages well and have to use english for speaking to people from other countries

Question 11

Outer Circle country

Answer 11

• India
• many people har highly proficient in English, many not. Needed for secondary education, politics and law, business inside the country. Interaction with a different mother-tongue.

Question 12

Expanding circle country

Answer 12

• Norway
• many people are highly proficient in english. Used to some extent in higher education, but the mother tongue is used for most other purposes. Interaction with a different mother-tongue.

Question 13

Why did English become a global language?

Answer 13

• Imperialism (spread the extension of the British empire and later with American dominance)

Question 14

Why is English a world language?

Answer 14

• Politics
• Economy
• Culture
• International communication