lexicology / 22-23

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3.6. Etymological Strata of Borrowings in Modern English Vocabulary

a) Celtic Borrowings

When in the 5th century the Anglo-Saxon tribes came to Britain they got in contact with the native Celtic population (which for about 4 centuries had been under the Roman rule). The language of the Celts did not influence Anglo-Saxon to any serious extent. Though some etymological dictionaries register about 160 words borrowed directly and indirectly from the Celts only some 10-12 words are really direct Celtic borrowings (apart from numerous place names). To these words belong the following: bin - a chest for corn, brat - a child, down - a hill, dun grayish-brown colour, badger a burrowing mammal related to the weasel, hog - a domestic swine, w curse - to use profane language against somebody. Some of Celtic words became international.

e.g. whisky, plaid, clan

Celtic geographical names are common in all parts of Britain, especially in Scotland and Ireland. The Celtic avon (river) appears in the names of streams not only in England, but also in France and Italy, preserving the memory of the earlier Celtic occupation of Central Europe.

In Great Britain Avon is the name of several rivers (in Central England, Scotland and Wales).

Other Celtic words can be found in place names such as:

hurst (grove) m Billingshurt. Penchurst

strath (a broad valley) in Slrathclyde

tre (a village) in Tredegar

weald (a forest) in Cotswold

b) Greek Borrowings

Borrowing from Greek go back to an early period. A great many Greek words introduced into English came in chiefly through the medium of Latin. Early Greek borrowings were more or less Latinized in form. They were spelt and pronounced not as in Greek but as the Romans spelt and pronounced them. They were further assimilated in English.

But an influx of Greek words on a large scale did not begin until the time of Renaissance. These are mostly bookish borrowings which came as terms for various fields of science. It is interesting to note that modern scientific and technical terms of Greek origin are nearly all of international currency. Greek terms added much to the precision of scientific technology.

Here are some borrowings, which linguistics owes to Greek: antonym, dialect, etymology, euphemism, homonym, hyperbole, synecdoche, synonym.

Terms of literature and art are also numerous.

e.g. poet, rhythm, tragedy, comedy, drama

Terms of philosophy.

e.g. basis, category

Mathematical terms.

e.g. hypotenuse

Physical terminology.

e.g. dynamo, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermostat. The medical vocabulary is for the most part Greek and the Latin medical terms arc in the main translation from Greek, e.g. adenoids, pediatrics, psychiatry, psychoanalysis Quite a number of proper names are also Greek in origin. For example, Alexander (alexein - defender + aner - man: defender of people), Pamela (pan - everything, + meli honey), Philip (philos loving + hippos - horse). Peter (petra - rock), Sophia (sophos - wisdom)

Greek is peculiarly well fitted to supply needs for precise terms. It possesses an unlimited power of forming compound words and it has a complete and regular system of combining forms by means of which derivatives can be produced from any verb or noun.

e.g. autos (self) in autograph, autobiography, autocracy

ge/geo (earth) in geography, geopolitics, geology, geomagnetic homo (the same) in homograph, homogeneous, homosexual tele (at a distance) in telegraph, telephone, television, telemarketing, telecommunication

c) Latin Borrowings

The Germanic people, of which the Angles and Saxons formed part, had been in contact with Roman civilization and had adopted many Latin words denoting objects of this civilization long before the invasion of Angles, Saxons and Jutes into Britain.

The loan words of this period are distinguished by their concrete character. These early words were borrowed in an oral manner, were easy to pronounce and remember. This is a distinctive feature of the oldest Latin loans as opposed to later strata of loan words. They were also short words, mostly of one or two syllables.

Many loan words of this period are connected with trade. Ancient Germans sold amber, silk, slaves and they bought everyday things, jewelry.