24. Lexical System of Middle English.

The sources usually divided into external and internal. Internal ways in development of vocabulary were productive in all historical period Word formation and semantic features were polemic in the creation of the new words and new meaning. They were exceptionally productive in the period of rapid vocabulary growth, such as the renaissance period. The influx of borrowings was directly dependent on the linguistic situation of the country and on the position and role of the foreign language.

The linguistic situation in ME was the most favorable for strong foreign influence. Foreign words were adopted in large numbers in the succeeding periods and their sources because were more diverse. English freely borrowed both from classical and modern sources though at no other kind the immediate effect of the foreign impact was as West men in ME .

The Greater Part of lexical borrowings from old Scandinavian were not recorded until the 13th century. The presence of the Scandinavians in the English population is indicated by a large numbers of place names in the North and east areas. Most frequent are the place names with the Scandinavian components thorp-woodthorp, toft-brimtoft… The fusion if the English and Old Scandinavian settlers progressed rapidly, gradually the Scandinavian dialogs were absorbed by English leaving a profound impression on the vocabulary of the Northern English dialogs. It’s difficult to define the semantic spheres of Scandinavian borrowings They mostly pertain to everyday life and do not differ from native words. Only the earliest lone words deal with military and legal matters and reflect the relations of the people during the Danish rates and rule.

Ex of everyday words of Scand origin-nouns-a bag, a band, crook, egg, sky, aft, adj.- awkward, flat, heavy, verbs- to hit, to cut, to scan, to snag…

Scandinavian words could be the innovation without replacing any other lexical item.

The French language was brought to England with the Norman Conquest. The effect of NC was seen in large numbers of borrowings in ME. At the initial stages French words were restricted to some varieties of English (the speech of aristocracy, middle class, the speech of educated people) Early borrowings were used in literature in translations of French books. Among the earliest borrowings are EME “prison” and EME “ware” The French borrowings are usually described according to semantic spheres. To this day were related to the Government are French by origin (assembly, authority, chamber) Close to this group are words of feudal system, and words indicated titles and nobility( baron, count, duke) A great number of words were adopted in the Eng in order that military matters were new to the English at that period. Many of these words were adopted as judicial words, many words pertain to the church and religion.

Билет №8

8. East-germanic branch

The E-G subgroup was founded by the tribes who returned from Scandinavia at the beginning of our era. The most numerous and powerful of them were Goths. The gothic language (now dead) has been preserved in written records of the 4th and 5th centuries. The Goths were the 1st of the all teutons to become Christian. In the 4th century Ulfilas, a west-gothic bishop, made a translation of the Gospels from Greak into Gothic, using a modified form of the Greak alphabet. Parts of Ulfilus Gospels, a manuscript of about 200 pages, probably made in the 5th or the 6th centuries have been preserved and are kept now in Sweden. It is written on red parchment with silver and golden letters and is known as a Silver Codex (Codex Argenteus). Ulfilus Gospels were first published in the 17th century and have been thoroughly studied by the 19-20 centuries. The other E-G languages, all of which are dead, have left no written traces.