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Published byCameron Greer Modified over 9 years ago
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The Origins of the English Language
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Christian Era Western Europe Celtic-Speaking South Germanic-Speaking North The linguistic geography of Europe Britain and Ireland Colonized by different groups of Celtic speakers Latin They moved into Roman territory
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Latin spread through Modern Italy Spain Portugal Most of Britain France Germany
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The Roman Empire collapses Latin disappears on the periphery Including Africa South Germany Britain Latin survives in the central areas of Continental Europe
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At the beginning of the Christian Era Germanics lived in Northern Europe GermanMix of dialects in South Denmark North Sea coast dialects Weser/Rhine dialects Dutch and Flemish Coastal dialects Denmark and Norway dialects Weser/Rhine dialects English
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Contact between tribal groups led to mutual influence Germanic mercenaries were recruited into the Roman army Most of them gave up their language to adopt Latin
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The Franks spread up the Rhine and across the border into the empire Burgundians crossed into Gaul to settle the duchy of Burgundy The Alemanns migrated through what is now Eastern France
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The Saxon Shore The Saxon Shore Places where the Saxons settled
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NORTHERN GROUP They crossed the Sound to Denmark To eastern coast of England And to the mouth of the Seine
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NORTHERN GROUP In the Viking Age Faeroe Islands Iceland They founded Dublin
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Language in Britain Celtic Languages Welsh Irish Scots Gaelic
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Julius Caesar (55 BC) Julius Caesar (55 BC) Roman army takes 2/3 of Britain Latin is introduced as the language of the forces Hadrian’s Wall (legion from Romania) Lancaster occupied by a legion from Gaul Roman forces are withdrawn in early 5 th Century The Anglo-Saxons cross the North Sea and settle on the East and South coasts of Britain
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Early 9 th Century From Edinburgh across the West coast to the Humber From Offa’s dyke to East Anglia To the north from the Mersey to the Humber To the South from the Severn to the Thames From Tamar to the boundaries of Kent
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Early English Spoken English Written English Dialects Northumbrian Mercian West Saxon Kentish Northern Dialects Anglian The Standard Language arose out of the dialects of the old Kingdoms
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The beginning of the written English Germanic tribes In straight lines Incised with a chisel Short inscriptions on jewelry Commemorative texts on WoodRocksStones Magical purposes Runes
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Earliest use of English in manuscripts Glosses They provided an English equivalent form some words in Latin texts Use of diagraphs for Non- Latin words “æ” was used for the English vowel intermediate between Latin “a” and “e” Example
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Conventions They tend to conservatism in spelling Old conventions can be retained despite the pronunciation changes They can be used for another dialect for which they do not quite fit Fisc Example Scip sk ʃ ʃ ʃ ʃ Fish Ship
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Texts Medieval culture Modern Culture Reading aloud Letters represent a sound Read silently to yourself Letters were the sound of their voice Letters are prior to sounds
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Letters are the smallest units in written and spoken text We expect a text to be read aloud in the language which it is written Texts Church controlled Latin literacy Written English reflects the power of the church
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597 A.D Missionaries from Rome were sent to Kent Pope Gregory established 2 archiepiscopal sees at London and York 634 A.D 667 A.D. The Kings of Northumbria and Kent collaborated over the appointment of the archbishop of Canterbury
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Written English As a result of the tension between the wider church view and the narrower political view Concept of English Language belonged to the church Political sown tates had their written form First English texts were produced in Northumbria
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Mercian Particular variety of English in written form Used not only in Mercia but also throughout the territory where it had influence Wessex Dominant power in the 9 th century West Saxon Adopted as an official Language within and beyond the borders of Wessex
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The Survival Celtics Anglo-Saxons settled in eastern England English speakers were in contact with the native population Natives learnt English
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The Survival Celtics Wealas “Foreigners” Language Waelisc = “Foreigner-ish” Welsh It kept being spoken in the north and west of the Anglo-Saxon settlements
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Picts They were overrun by the Scots Gaelic-speaking tribe from Ireland Gaelic It remained dominant in the Highlands until the clans were destroyed in the 18 th Century
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South West Borders of Wessex were extended to the Severn after the battle of Deorham (577 A.D.) Cornwall was cut off from the Celtic-speaking communities further North Cornish died out in the 18 th Century 617 The borders of Northumbria reached the Mersey Battle of Chester
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Welsh place names that still remain Landican Wallasey “Islands of the Welsh” Native people of Northumbria, Mercia and Wessex gave up Celtic and adopted English regarding themselves as English people
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Edward I Ring of castles in North Wales that introduced English (and French) speakers into influential positions in the Welsh towns Act of Union (1536) Wales was incorporated within the political borders of England
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English and Welsh were to be available in church as a result of the act of Union (1543) that said both had to coexist with equality English and Welsh were to be available in church as a result of the act of Union (1543) that said both had to coexist with equality
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William Morgan’s translation of the Bible (1588) was an important factor in order to preserve the Language William Morgan’s translation of the Bible (1588) was an important factor in order to preserve the Language
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Growing English conurbations They led to the economic decline of Welsh towns and the emigration of Welsh speakers to England Accelerated not only by economic factors but also by the Industrial Revolution
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