The English Language
Section A: The Origins of English
Review: What language family and language branch is English a part of?
The Origins of the English Language
Where did English come from? Germanic Tribes Latin Old Norse Norman French Celtic Tribes Where did English come from?
Old English Middle English Modern English 450CE-1100CE
The Lord’s Prayer in Old English Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum; Si þin nama gehalgod to becume þin rice gewurþe ðin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum. urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge ac alys us of yfele soþlice
The Lord’s Prayer in Middle English Oure fadir that art in heuenes, halewid be thi name; thi kyndoom come to; be thi wille don in erthe as in heuene: gyue to us this dai oure breed ouer othir substaunce; and forgyue to us oure dettis, as we forgyuen to oure gettouris; and lede us not in to temptacioun, but delyuere us fro yuel.
Section B: The Diffusion of English
Map of Great Britain and its Colonies
Connect: What types of diffusion may explain the movement of English from place to place. Explain.
The Diffusion of English Britain British Colonies United States United States Annexes (Philippines) The Diffusion of English
SKIP 5:27
Hypothesize: Does English sound the same wherever it is spoken?
The English Language: Dialects
What is a dialect?
A dialect is a regional variation of a language distinguished by distinctive vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation.
Section C: American English
Differences between British and American English Different because settlers in America encountered new objects, animals, etcetera. New animals, for example, were given Native American Names. As new inventions appeared they received different names. Vocabulary Spelling diverged from a strong national American Identity. Webster, an American dictionary publisher had an American agenda Spelling Largely explained by distance and time. Pronunciation
Engage: How does the English language differ within the United States?
What is an isogloss?
An isogloss is a geographic boundary line delimiting the area in which a given linguistic feature occurs.
Isoglosses in the United States
East Coast Isoglosses Northern Midlands Southern
Predict: How has Mass Media and the Internet affected the English language?
Section D: English as a Global Lingua Franca
What is a Lingua Franca?
A Lingua Franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing an original language.
Predict: What systems of communication are largely dominated by English?
Systems that Use English The Internet ESL Global Commerce
Countries with English as their official or dominant language.
Many areas do not learn full English but a Pidgin.
What is a pidgin?
A Pidgin is a simplified version of a language.
Debate: Would text-speak be considered a Pidgin?
A pidgin that becomes the major language of a people is called a creole language.
Section D: Toponymy
What is toponymy?
Toponymy is the study of place names Toponymy is the study of place names. It can often show us historical concepts long after the event has happened or person has died.
Toponyms can show us: The History of a Place The Culture of a People Colonization Most Brazilian Toponyms are Portuguese French Toponyms in Louisiana The Culture of a People George Washington Bridge, Martin Luther King Blvd, Jacksonville, Florida
Descriptive Toponyms - The Rocky Mountains
Associative Toponyms - Pensacola Beach, Florida
Commemorative Toponyms - New York City, New York
Manufactured Toponyms - Truth and Consequences, New Mexico
Incident Toponyms - Battle Creek, Michigan
Possessive Toponyms - Johnson City, Texas