Вопрос 19. Latin Borrowings in English.

Latin has been the most long-lasting donor of borrowings to English because its influence started before the 5^th A.D. (when Anglo-Saxons still lived on the Continent) and continues up to present day.

Usually Latin borrowings in OE are classified into the following layers:

1. Continental borrowings – words that the West Germanic tribes borrowed from Latin while they still lived on the Continent. Later, when they conquered the British Isles, they brought these words with them. These words are present in all the Germanic languages.

Semantic fields:

• concrete objects (household (cup, pillow, etc.), food (cheese, butter, etc.), animals (mule, turtle, etc.));

• units of measurement (mile, pound, inch, etc.).

Borrowings after the Roman Invasion of the British Isles (through the Romanised Celts) that lie within the following semantic areas:

• trade (trade, deal, chest, flask, etc.);

• building (chalk, file, copper, etc.);

• domestic life (dish, kettle, etc.);

• military affairs (wall, street, pile, etc.);

• place names:

  • -castra (“castle”) (Chester, Lancaster, etc.);

  • -wich (“village”) (Norwich, Woolwich, etc.);

  • -port (“port“) (Bridport, Devonport, etc.).