Universidad del Este Gladys Pérez, Ed.D ENGL 310 History of the English Language

Language  Systematic communication by vocal symbols Definitions

“a system of arbitrary conventionalized vocal, written, or gestural symbols that enable members of a given community to communicate intelligibly with one another.

Composite Definition  Language is systematic.  Language is a set of arbitrary symbols.  Those symbols are primarily vocal, but may also be visual.  The symbols have conventionalized meanings to which they refer.

Composite Definition  Language is used for communication.  Language operates in a speech community or culture.  Language is essentially human, although possibly not limited to humans.  Language is acquired by all people in much the same way.

Language and Speech Speech – patterned verbal behavior Language – set of rules for generating speech  Dialect – variant of language common in large- scale diverse societies Regional dialect – associated with a geographically isolated speech community Social dialect – spoken by a socially isolated community

Pidgin  Simplified hybrid language  fulfills the communication needs of peoples who have no language in common and a need to interact for commercial and other reasons.  Combines the vocabulary and grammar of different languages.  94 pidgin languages have developed.

Creole Pidgin language that becomes the mother tongue of a population  Haiti – French –African pidgin  Papua New Guinea  Pacific Island of Vanuatu  Sierra Leone Pidgin English  Georgia and South Carolina Pidgin English = Gullah

Diglossia  People switch back and forth between dialects depending on : Social setting Person being spoken to

Written Language Stages  Pictographic  Logographic (Ideographic)  Syllabic  Alphabetic

Pictographic

Logograph

Old English  A. D invasions of the Germanic Tribes Angles, Jutes, and Saxons the, is, on, we, in  A.D. 600 – Latin began to influence Old English psalm, angel, talent, temple  Eighth Century – Viking invasion Viking culture and vocabulary Danish vocabulary  Ninth Century –language of the intellectuals  A. D Written English disappeared for approximately 200 years

The Lord’s Prayer Matthew 6.9 (WSCp, 11th c.) 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. (Corpus Christi College MS 140, ed. Liuzza (1994))Liuzza

Lord's Prayer I (Exeter Book,10th c.) 1 [....]g fæder, þu þe on heofonum eardast, 2 geweorðad wuldres dreame. Sy þinum weorcum halgad 3 noma niþþa bearnum; þu eart nergend wera. 4 Cyme þin rice wide, ond þin rædfæst willa 5 aræred under rodores hrofe, eac þon on rumre foldan. 6 Syle us to dæge domfæstne blæd, 7 hlaf userne, helpend wera, 8 þone singalan, soðfæst meotod. 9 Ne læt usic costunga cnyssan to swiðe, 10 ac þu us freodom gief, folca waldend, 11 from yfla gewham, a to widan feore. (The Exeter Book, ed. Krapp and Dobbie 1936)Krapp and Dobbie

Lord’s Prayer  The Lord’s Prayer 

Beowulf (8 th -11 th Century)  Beowulf and the Anglo Saxons  

Middle English  Battle of Hastings in 1066 Norman French – language spoken by the rulers French vocabulary added to English  14 th Century – Chaucer The Canterbury Tales  Surnames emerged “Son of” someone – Johnson, Thomson Where someone lived – Rivers, Brooks Occupation – Butcher, Hunter, Miller, Mason Continental names – French, Fleming, Holland

Increased demand for books – rise of “scriveners” first printing press in London Renaissance – rediscovery of the legacy of classic Greece and Rome verditverdictdicere dettedebtdebitum doutedoubtdubitare bankroutbankruptruptus

Geoffrey Chaucer ( )  Canterbury tales 

Modern English Early Modern – 1500 – 1700  Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29 Late Modern – 1700 – Present  Science  , Samuel Johnson, Dictionary of the English Language

Early Modern English ( ) The Geneva Bible (1602) Our Father which art in heauen, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdome come. Thy will be done euen in earth, as it is in heauen. Giue vs this day our daily bread. And forgiue vs our debts, as we also forgiue our debters. And lead vs not into tentation, but deliuer vs from euill: for thine is the kingdome, and the power, and the glory for euer. Amen. (1607 printing, ed. Sheppard (1989))Sheppard

The King James Bible (1611) Our father which art in heauen, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdome come. Thy will be done, in earth, as it is in heauen. Giue vs this day our daily bread. And forgiue vs our debts, as we forgiue our debters. And lead vs not into temptation, but deliuer vs from euill: For thine is the kingdome, and the power, and the glory, for euer, Amen.

Late Modern English (1700-) Book of Common Prayer (1928) Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

The New Testament in Modern English (1963) Our Heavenly Father, may your name be honored; May your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day the bread we need, Forgive us what we owe to you, as we have also forgiven those who owe anything to us. Keep us clear of temptation, and save us from evil.

American English  Native American words adopted Hickory, hominy, totem, moccasin, igloo  Noah Webster (1828) Dictionary of American English Spelling changes (honour-honor)  Spanish – strong influence  Immigration

American English  American English Accents 

Arthur the Rat