As it is stated by Jonathan Culver, “The English language is a work in progress”. This is indeed the case, as to this day, new words are still being introduced. Moreover, the English language is a combination which originated from different languages. These include Sanskrit, Gaelic, Latin, Old English (Anglo Saxon), Norse, French, Greek and Hebrew.
The earliest influence on the English language is from Sanskrit. Many simple English words are derived from this Indian-European based language. For example, the words mother, cow and percent came from the Sanskrit words, matr, gau, and prati shat.
Another language which had an effect on the English language is Gaelic, the language of the Celtic people from Turkey and Persia. This dates back to …show more content…
Latin had an especially large influence on legal terminology. Old English has been beneficial for the enrichment of English. At the time (50BC), Catholic monks had to copy text in Latin, and often during this process, they would adapt words with new shades of meaning. Examples of some words which were derived from Old English.
Next, Norse had a great impact on the English language, improving, clarifying and strengthening the meaning of English. Furthermore, many words had Norwegian elements in them. Words such as call, ball, glove and skirt came from the Norwegian words. Another interesting aspect of the Norse language is that there is a letter dedicated to the “th” sound. The þ symbol represents the “th” phonetic found in the word “thorn”, so the word “þrift” would be pronounced “thrift”. This letter is used in Old English texts, such as “Beowulf”.
Following Norse influence, the French had just as large of an impact on the English vocabulary. French provided thousands of sophisticated synonyms as well as, governmental terminology. For example, French influenced the words “regal”, “royal”, and “sovereign”, all which have a similar meaning, but have slightly different nuances to their meaning. In addition, many English words were created through the mix of French and German words- “companionship” being a key example of
The earliest influence on the English language is from Sanskrit. Many simple English words are derived from this Indian-European based language. For example, the words mother, cow and percent came from the Sanskrit words, matr, gau, and prati shat.
Another language which had an effect on the English language is Gaelic, the language of the Celtic people from Turkey and Persia. This dates back to …show more content…
Latin had an especially large influence on legal terminology. Old English has been beneficial for the enrichment of English. At the time (50BC), Catholic monks had to copy text in Latin, and often during this process, they would adapt words with new shades of meaning. Examples of some words which were derived from Old English.
Next, Norse had a great impact on the English language, improving, clarifying and strengthening the meaning of English. Furthermore, many words had Norwegian elements in them. Words such as call, ball, glove and skirt came from the Norwegian words. Another interesting aspect of the Norse language is that there is a letter dedicated to the “th” sound. The þ symbol represents the “th” phonetic found in the word “thorn”, so the word “þrift” would be pronounced “thrift”. This letter is used in Old English texts, such as “Beowulf”.
Following Norse influence, the French had just as large of an impact on the English vocabulary. French provided thousands of sophisticated synonyms as well as, governmental terminology. For example, French influenced the words “regal”, “royal”, and “sovereign”, all which have a similar meaning, but have slightly different nuances to their meaning. In addition, many English words were created through the mix of French and German words- “companionship” being a key example of