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Essays on history of english language
Evolutionary Factors Of Contemporary English
Essays on history of english language
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It is now almost impossible for us to fully participate in the global village that we live in, without knowing a common world language. However, the common link language that would be the universally accepted means of communication should not be allowed to undermine the importance of any other existing language or culture. In fact, new linguistic insights have made us aware that no human language is superior to any other .The development and growth of a language also depends upon its usage and utility. English is one such language that is in utility all around the world.
It is estimated that about a billion people in the world use English either as their native, second or foreign language. English is used in over 70 countries as an official
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The English language belongs to the West Germanic branch of the Indo-European family of languages. The closest living relatives of English are Scots and Frisian. Frisian is a language spoken by approximately half a million people in the Dutch province of Friesland, in nearby areas of Germany, and on a few islands in the North Sea.
Britain was an Empire for 200 years between the 18th and 20th centuries and the English language continued to change as the British Empire moved across the world - to the USA, Australia, New Zealand, India, Asia and Africa. They sent people to settle and live in their conquered places and as settlers interacted with natives, new words were added to the English vocabulary. For example, 'kangaroo' and 'boomerang' are native Australian Aborigine words, 'juggernaut' and 'turban' came from India. English continues to change and develop, with hundreds of new words arriving every year. But even with all the borrowings from many other languages, the heart of the English language remains the Anglo-Saxon of Old English. The grammar of English is also distinctly Germanic - three genders (he, she and it) and a simple set of verb tenses (Science
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In most of the countries it is the primary Second Language taught in schools and can be understood to some extent by 1/3 of the world’s population. English is crucial for anyone who wants to thrive on the global stage. About fifty years ago the notion of English as a true global language was merely a theoretical prediction which is still diffuse and vague. However, realities have created it as a real world language at the present time. People in every part of the world feel its urgent role in their life: for academic purposes, for business goals and for other purposes. English is spoken by people throughout the world either as their First Language or Second Language or Foreign Language. Indeed, English is now a world language.
The vast and dynamic history of English is often divided into three periods:
The history of the English language has traditionally been divided into three main periods: Old English (450-1100 AD), Middle English (1100-circa 1500 AD) and Modern English (since 1500). Over the centuries, the English language has been influenced by a number of other languages.
Old English (450-1100
Throughout history, many languages change over time but out of them all I feel English has changed the most. I feel as we go on the way we pronounce words, use slang, rewrite words that have the same meaning but sound differently has changed drastically. I think the main influence on the evolution of the English language would be migration. We the people have moved so much going across countries and other states with English as our default or with broken English or not knowing the language at all. Most out of the United States do have broken English or simply don't know english at all but can identify which language is being heard. No two speak identically either, as they learn English their born language begins to fight with it for example
In order for a language to survive and thrive, it must be adaptable and change with the times. This can definitely be seen in English, as it has gone through dramatic changes over the course of its life, to the point of being nearly unrecognizable. Stemming from the Germanic branch of the Proto-Indo-European mother language, English has existed since the invasion of Britain in AD 449. Although the changes in the language took place over many years, English can be divided into three main eras: Old English (449-1100), Middle English (1100-1500), and Modern English (1500-).
English developed through the time since it was first founded by Germanic tribes. The English developed through three periods, known as, Old English or Anglo – Saxon, Middle English and Modern English. Modern English was the basic development of the language in Europe. Few reasons cause the language to be wildly developed, such as the shift in vowel pronunciation, the connection between the British and the outside world and printing invention. According to Linda C. Mitchell, grammar books during the Seventeenth century, included lexicons, and almost no dictionaries.
The English language has experienced several shifts and transformations ever since its earliest history in the medieval England to the current. English has been historically said to have evolved through three major stages that include Old English, Middle English and Modern English. Each of the three stages may be also sub-divided into early and late stages in order to give a comprehensive picture of the language’s history. English language, According to Algeo (2010), originated from the various dialects used by the Anglo-Frisian communities of the 5th to 7th century AD Britain. This form of English is classified as Old English and was popular among Germanic invaders who occupied the surrounding geographical areas at the time. Old English did,
It has been adopted by different sectors making it one of the most used languages in the globe. This has been attributed to its effective nature, easy learning and rich history. However, conservative groups exist who argues that there should be global language since it may cause the emergence of superior cultures. Nevertheless, it is evident that different cultures ranging from the early polish immigrants, the African American community, the advertising and media will greatly benefit from the globalization of the English language. This will prove in the end that English is indeed a global
The beginnings of English can be found in the occupation of England from the 5th century by north and west German ethnic groups who brought their 'indigenous dialects' (Seargeant, P. 2012, p. 1). The Oxford English Dictionary defines English as 'Of or related to the West Germanic language spoken in England and used in many varieties throughout the world' (Seargeant, P. 2012, p. 7). Invasion in the 9th century by Scandinavians, who settled in the north of England and the establishment of Danelaw in 886 AD defining the area governed by the Danes in the north and east, had a marked effect on the language spoken there (Beal, J. 2012, p. 59). These periods are known as Early and Later Old English (Beal, J. 2012, p. 50).
Language is one of the most basic values of a society that differentiates one society from other one. Each country desires to be superior over other countries and spread of its language and their culture to win in a way over other countries language. The growing utilization of English to communicate internationally has been continuing in several decades which makes English as one of the growing language between the countries; as Robson reported that “English is spoken at a useful level by some 1.75 billion people worldwide
Since the establishment of the British Empire, the spread of English language has been experienced in many parts of the globe. The success can be attributed significantly to the colonization activities that the empire had embarked on. They would train the indigenous community English language as they suppressed the local dialect. This massive spread is termed as lingual imperialism (Osterhammel 2005, pp. 14). The English language has become the first and second language of many nations across the world, and this makes it an international language. The native’s proportion to the non-native who speaks English cannot be compared with nations in the isle of Britain and far are speaking the language .considering that more than 70%
The English Language is Rich in its history. Studying the events that formed our language is vital to understand not only why we speak the way we do, but it also enables us to understand who we are. It comprises French, Latin, German, Norse, and a few lesser known tongues. Before there was written English, our texts were primarily written in Latin, and were reserved to be read by only the Pious and Royal. We also have historical landmarks such as Stonehenge that can guide us in understanding our English heritage. The language we speak today was formed only after Centuries of fierce battling, governments being overthrown, and a period of time known as the Dark Ages. During this time, the language began as Old English. Later it was simplified into Middle English and finally refined into Modern English.
The dialects of these languages cannot definitively be attributed to any particular group but have been narrowed down to that of; Northumbrian, Mercian, West Saxon, and Kentish. As Baugh and Cable tell us, ‘The English language of today is the language that has resulted from the history of the dialects spoken by the Germanic tribes who came to England...’ These new settlers brought with them everyday vocabulary, words that were for needed for daily survival in a foreign country with an unfamiliar language, words which we still use today in modern English, such as; weall(wall), wif(wife), cild(child) mete(meat), etan(eat), drincan(drink). There are debates as to what extent the vocabulary is Germanic. Baugh and Cable describe the vocabulary of Old English as predominantly Germanic , while, Helmut Gneuss argues that while the morphology and syntax was essentially of a Germanic language, the vocabulary was not . Written records in English do not go beyond the year 700AD, so we have relatively no way of assessing when a word came into Old English vocabulary prior to this time. Regardless of where the vocabulary originated, or where loan words were adopted into the Old English language it has to be assumed that as the contact between the various tribes ensued be it for trade or fighting, so too did the merging of dialects and
Old English (450-1100 AD), which is also referred to as Anglo-Saxon, is thought historically to be the earliest form of the English language. Originating with the arrival of three West Germanic tribes, who encroached
...nology is moving ahead at the speed of light. With all this advancement comes the inevitable need for a language that unifies the world. The need for a common language to conduct our business and economic affairs, and our need to communicate internationally on political and world interventions has made English the leader in world languages. It is not the language spoken first by most, but it the language that the world uses when it comes together to communicate.
It can be seen that English has become a global language, which is determined by lots of factors like history, culture and daily usefulness. Because of these factors, the number of people who speak English is still increasing now. English, as a significant part of social life gradually exerted profound impacts on education, job hunting and international communication. Also, it provides the whole world with a chance to share ideas and communicate freely. We are quite curious to see the further development of English as a lingua franca in the
Old English, and thus the English language as a whole, was first spoken in the fifth century AD in Britain. At the time, Britain was a former province of the Roman Empire, and most of its inhabitants spoke a Celtic language (Brief History). Around the year 500 AD, three Germanic tribes invaded Britain by crossing the North Sea from what is now Denmark and
In order to visualize the “global” as an adjective in the collocation “global language”, a study has shown the numbers of people speaking the language. According to them, there are about 6000 languages in the world and not surprisingly English is at the top of the list of most dominant. In the world there are 375 million first-language speakers, approximately the same number of second-language speakers and about 750 million foreign-language speakers (David Graddol, The Future of English? A Guide to Forecasting the Popularity of the English Language in the 21st Century. British Council, 1997). According to magazine Economist, more than one billion people speak some form of English. These numbers could make people think that English is really conquering the world which can be both positive and negative.