ETYMOLOGY OF THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE
Julia E. Mishina
Points to be discussed:
The mixed character of the English language.
Words of native origin and the role they play in the language.
Borrowings in the English language: classification, special types, assimilation.
Etymology as a branch of Lexicology studies the earliest form and meaning of the word and its connection with the corresponding words in other languages
The English
Language
Mixed character
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Native |
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Borrowed |
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words (30 %) |
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words (70%) |
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Native
words
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Indo- |
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Germanic |
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English |
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European |
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proper |
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Indo-European – words of roots common to all or most Indo-European languages
Family relations: mother, son, daughter
Parts of human body: foot, nose, lip, heart
Animals: cow, swine, goose
Plants: tree, birch, corn
Time of day: day, night
Heavenly bodies: sun, moon, star
Adjectives: red, new, sad, glad
Numerals 1-100
Personal and demonstrative pronouns
Verbs: be, stand, sit, eat, know
Germanic - words of roots common to all or most Germanic languages
Parts of human body: head, hand, arm, finger, bone
Animals: bear, fox, calf
Plants: oak, fir, grass
Natural phenomena: rain, frost
Seasons of the year: winter, spring, summer
Landscape features: sea, land
Human dwellings and furniture: house, room, bench
Sea-going vessels: boat, ship
Adjectives: green, blue, grey, white, small, thick, high, old, good
Verbs: see, hear, speak, tell, say, answer, make, give, drink
English proper words have no cognates in other languages:
Bird, boy, girl, lord, lady, woman, daisy, always
Borrowing
1) process of adopting words from other languages to express new concepts,
to further differentiate the existing concepts and to name new objects, phenomena, etc.;
2) the result of this process (words and word building affixes borrowed into the language)
Source of borrowing - the language from which the word was taken
Origin of borrowing - the language the word may be traced to
Why are words borrowed?
Extra-linguistic reasons: contacts of different kinds with other nations: wars, trade
Linguistic reasons:
1.to fill the gap in the vocabulary
2.to represent the same notion in some new aspect
Classification according to the source and period of borrowing
period |
source |
examples |
I BC |
Latin |
Butter, cheese, cherry, plum, |
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pea, pepper, cup, kitchen, wine, |
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etc. |
V AD |
Celtic |
Toponyms: London |
VII AD |
Latin |
Priest, nun, monk, candle |