1.Define and explain, The Great Vowel Shift.
-the Great Vowel Shift, explaining much of the non-phonetic spelling of contemporary Modern English.
The Great Vowel Shift was a major change in the pronunciation of the English language that took place in the south of England between 1200 and 1600.The Great Vowel Shift was first studied by Otto Jespersen (1860–1943), a Danish linguist and Anglicist, who coined the term.
2. Name 5 dialects of Modern English.
- American English
- British English
- Caribbean English
- South African English
- Indo-Pakistani English
3. One of the problems with Early Modern English was a lack of uniformity in spelling. Which 2 people (1-English, 1-American) helped establish standardized spelling?
-The orthography in Early Modern English was fairly similar to that of today, but spelling was phonetic and unstable; for example, the word acuity could be spelled either or . Further, there were a number of features of spelling that have not been retained:
The letter had two distinct lowercase forms: as today, and <ſ> (long s). The former was used at the end of a word, and the latter everywhere else, except that double-lowercase-S was variously written <ſſ> or <ſs>.
and were not yet considered two distinct letters, but different forms of the same letter. Typographically, was used at the start of a word[citation needed] and in its interior; hence vnmoued (for modern unmoved) and loue (for love).
A silent was often appended to words. The last consonant sometimes was doubled when adding this ; hence ſpeake, cowarde, manne (for man), runne (for run).
The sound /ʌ/ was often written (as in son); hence ſommer, plombe (for modern summer, plumb).
4. How many countries in the world have given Modern English official status?
-In 53 countries, is the first language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the Anglophone Caribbean.
5. The most recent statistics show that approximately how many people speak Modern English as a:
I. First language? II. Second Language?
-It is used extensively as a second language and as an official language throughout the world.
6. When was Early Modern English spoken?
-the English language started around 1750: the British settlement of America.
7. How are the use of Pronouns different between Early Modern & Modern English?
-In Early Modern English, there were two second-person personal pronouns: thou, the informal singular pronoun, and ye, which was both the plural pronoun and the formal singular pronoun (like modern French tu and vous or the German du and Sie). (Thou was already falling out of use in the Early Modern English period, but remained customary for addressing God and certain other solemn occasions, and sometimes for addressing inferiors.) Like other personal pronouns, thou and ye had different forms depending on their grammatical case; specifically, the objective form of thou was thee, its possessive forms were thy and thine, and its reflexive or emphatic form was thyself, while ye's objective form was you, its possessive forms were your and yours, and its reflexive or emphatic forms were yourself and yourselves.
In other respects, the pronouns were much the same as today. One difference is that, much as a becomes an before a vowel, my and thy became mine and thine before vowels as well; hence, mine eyes, thine uncle, and so on.
8. Which language families does Modern English belong in?
- Indo-European
- Germanic
- West Germanic
- Anglo-Frisian
- Anglic.
9. Name 4 worldwide uses for Modern English.
10. In your opinion, what was the greatest influence on the spread of Modern English around the world? Why?
domingo, 26 de octubre de 2008
lunes, 20 de octubre de 2008
Assignment # 3: Middle English (maria jose sanhueza jofre)
1. Approximately when was Middle English spoken?
the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of 1066 and about 1470.
2. What were the major factors which led to the development and the spread of Middle English?
when the Chancery Standard, a form of London-based English, began to become widespread, a process aided by the introduction of the printing press into England by William Caxton in the 1470s, and slightly later by Richard Pynson. By this time the Northumbrian dialect (prevalent in Northern England) spoken in southeast Scotland was developing into the Scots language. The language of England as spoken after this time, up to 1650, is known as Early Modern English.
3. Match the following Old English words with their Anglo-Norman equivalent:
A. Pig: pork
B. Cow: beef
C. Wood: forest
D. Sheep: mutton
E. House: mansion
F. Worthy: honourable
G. Bold: courageous
4. Compare & contrast the structure of nouns, pronouns and verbs, between Middle English & Modern English.
Nouns
Despite losing the slightly more complex system of inflectional endings, Middle English retains two separate noun-ending patterns from Old English. Compare, for example, the early Modern English words engel (angel) and nome (name).
Verbs
As a general rule (and all these rules are general), the first person singular of present tense verbs ends in -e (ich here - "I hear"), the second person in -(e)st (þou spekest - "thou speakest"), and the third person in -eþ (he comeþ - "he cometh/he comes"). (þ is pronounced like the unvoiced th in "think"). In the past tense, weak verbs are formed by an -ed(e), -d(e) or -t(e) ending. These, without their personal endings, also form past participles, together with past-participle prefixes derived from the old English ge-: i-, y- and sometimes bi-. Strong verbs form their past tense by changing their stem vowel (e.g., binden -> bound), as in Modern English.
Pronouns
First and second pronouns survive largely unchanged, with only minor spelling variations. In the third person, the masculine accusative singular became 'him'. The feminine form was replaced by a form of the demonstrative that developed into 'she', but unsteadily—'ho' remains in some areas for a long time. The lack of a strong standard written form between the eleventh and the fifteenth century makes these changes hard to map.
5. How is pronunciation different between Middle English and Modern English?
Generally, all letters in Middle English words were pronounced. (Silent letters in Modern English come from pronunciation shifts but continued spelling conventions.) Therefore 'knight' was pronounced /ˈknɪçt/ (with a pronounced K and a 'gh' as the 'ch' in German 'Knecht'), not /ˈnaɪt/ as in Modern English.
In earlier Middle English, all written vowels were pronounced. By Chaucer's time, however, final -e had become silent in normal speech, but could be optionally pronounced in verse as the meter requires (but normally silent when the next word begins in a vowel). Chaucer follows these conventions: -e is silent in 'kowthe' and 'Thanne', but pronounced in 'straunge', 'ferne', 'ende', etc. (Presumably, final -y is partly or completely dropped in 'Caunterbury', to make the meter flow.)
6. What is the Chancery Standard, and how did it come into effect?
Chancery Standard was a written form of English used by government bureaucracy and for other official purposes from the late 14th century. It is believed to have contributed in a significant way to the development of the English language as spoken and written today. Because of the differing dialects of English spoken and written across the country at the time, the government required a clear and unambiguous form for use in its official documents. Chancery Standard was developed to meet this need.
7. Who wrote the Canterbury Tales?
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer.
8. Describe the medieval pilgrims who journeyed from Canterbury to London.
The group is described in detail, with characters from all classes, upper and lower, represented. Religious characters, such as a monk and a pardoner, travel alongside a sailor, miller, carpenter, and a knight, among others. When the group stops for the night, the host of the pilgrimage proposes that they all tell stories to each other along the way. The pilgrims agree to tell four stories each, two on the way to Canterbury, and two on the way back. The person who tells the best story, as determined by the host, will have his way paid by the rest of the group. The tale-telling begins with the knight and proceeds as the pilgrims near Canterbury, each person telling a story that reflects their social position, and some telling stories which are intended to make fun of others in the group.
9. Why did the pilgrims take this journey?
They took this journey for paying their respects to the tomb of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.
10. It is thought that some of the stories in The Canterbury Tales originated in Italy. What was the name of the Italian book and who wrote it?
The name of the Italian book was The Decameron, and it was written by Giovanni Boccaccio.
11. The Canterbury Tales is considered an extremely important book, both in terms of English Literature & in the history of English writing. In your opinion, why is this book so important?
12. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is:
d. A medieval romance poem, with Arthurian themes.
13. Who is Sir Gwain?
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late 14th-century Middle English alliterative romance outlining an adventure of Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur's Round Table.
14. What is the challenge that The Green Knight proposes to the Knights of the Round Table?
The Green knight offers to allow anyone to strike him with his axe if the challenger will take a return blow in a year and a day.
15. What is the similarity between Sir Gwain and the Green Knight and the Irish tale of Cúchulainn?
the similarity is The beheading challenge.
16. What is the importance of the pentagram/pentangle in the poem?
describes the pentangle as a symbol of faithfulness and an "endless knot". It is described as "a sign by Solomon". Solomon, the third king of Israel, in 10th century B.C. was said to have the mark of the pentagram on his ring, which he received from the archangel Michael. The pentagram seal on this ring was said to give Solomon power over demons.The symbol was also associated with magical charms which, if recited or written on a weapon, would call forth magical forces. However, concrete evidence tying the magical pentagram to Gawain's pentangle is scarce.
17. How are numbers used to symbolize events in the poem?
The poet highlights number symbolism to add symmetry and meaning to the poem.
The number two also appears repeatedly, as in the two beheading scenes, two confession scenes, and two castles.
18. What is the significance of Sir Gwain's neck wound?
The neck, specifically, was believed to correlate with the part of the soul related to will, connecting the reasoning part (the head) and the courageous part (the heart). Gawain's sin resulted from using his will to separate reasoning from courage.
19. Which actor played The Green Knight in the film adaptation, Sword of the Valiant?
Sean Connery was the actor in the film.
20. In many ways this poem is, in the modern sense, a soap opera. Compare Sir Gwain and the Green Knight with a modern Chilean teleseries.
the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of 1066 and about 1470.
2. What were the major factors which led to the development and the spread of Middle English?
when the Chancery Standard, a form of London-based English, began to become widespread, a process aided by the introduction of the printing press into England by William Caxton in the 1470s, and slightly later by Richard Pynson. By this time the Northumbrian dialect (prevalent in Northern England) spoken in southeast Scotland was developing into the Scots language. The language of England as spoken after this time, up to 1650, is known as Early Modern English.
3. Match the following Old English words with their Anglo-Norman equivalent:
A. Pig: pork
B. Cow: beef
C. Wood: forest
D. Sheep: mutton
E. House: mansion
F. Worthy: honourable
G. Bold: courageous
4. Compare & contrast the structure of nouns, pronouns and verbs, between Middle English & Modern English.
Nouns
Despite losing the slightly more complex system of inflectional endings, Middle English retains two separate noun-ending patterns from Old English. Compare, for example, the early Modern English words engel (angel) and nome (name).
Verbs
As a general rule (and all these rules are general), the first person singular of present tense verbs ends in -e (ich here - "I hear"), the second person in -(e)st (þou spekest - "thou speakest"), and the third person in -eþ (he comeþ - "he cometh/he comes"). (þ is pronounced like the unvoiced th in "think"). In the past tense, weak verbs are formed by an -ed(e), -d(e) or -t(e) ending. These, without their personal endings, also form past participles, together with past-participle prefixes derived from the old English ge-: i-, y- and sometimes bi-. Strong verbs form their past tense by changing their stem vowel (e.g., binden -> bound), as in Modern English.
Pronouns
First and second pronouns survive largely unchanged, with only minor spelling variations. In the third person, the masculine accusative singular became 'him'. The feminine form was replaced by a form of the demonstrative that developed into 'she', but unsteadily—'ho' remains in some areas for a long time. The lack of a strong standard written form between the eleventh and the fifteenth century makes these changes hard to map.
5. How is pronunciation different between Middle English and Modern English?
Generally, all letters in Middle English words were pronounced. (Silent letters in Modern English come from pronunciation shifts but continued spelling conventions.) Therefore 'knight' was pronounced /ˈknɪçt/ (with a pronounced K and a 'gh' as the 'ch' in German 'Knecht'), not /ˈnaɪt/ as in Modern English.
In earlier Middle English, all written vowels were pronounced. By Chaucer's time, however, final -e had become silent in normal speech, but could be optionally pronounced in verse as the meter requires (but normally silent when the next word begins in a vowel). Chaucer follows these conventions: -e is silent in 'kowthe' and 'Thanne', but pronounced in 'straunge', 'ferne', 'ende', etc. (Presumably, final -y is partly or completely dropped in 'Caunterbury', to make the meter flow.)
6. What is the Chancery Standard, and how did it come into effect?
Chancery Standard was a written form of English used by government bureaucracy and for other official purposes from the late 14th century. It is believed to have contributed in a significant way to the development of the English language as spoken and written today. Because of the differing dialects of English spoken and written across the country at the time, the government required a clear and unambiguous form for use in its official documents. Chancery Standard was developed to meet this need.
7. Who wrote the Canterbury Tales?
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer.
8. Describe the medieval pilgrims who journeyed from Canterbury to London.
The group is described in detail, with characters from all classes, upper and lower, represented. Religious characters, such as a monk and a pardoner, travel alongside a sailor, miller, carpenter, and a knight, among others. When the group stops for the night, the host of the pilgrimage proposes that they all tell stories to each other along the way. The pilgrims agree to tell four stories each, two on the way to Canterbury, and two on the way back. The person who tells the best story, as determined by the host, will have his way paid by the rest of the group. The tale-telling begins with the knight and proceeds as the pilgrims near Canterbury, each person telling a story that reflects their social position, and some telling stories which are intended to make fun of others in the group.
9. Why did the pilgrims take this journey?
They took this journey for paying their respects to the tomb of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.
10. It is thought that some of the stories in The Canterbury Tales originated in Italy. What was the name of the Italian book and who wrote it?
The name of the Italian book was The Decameron, and it was written by Giovanni Boccaccio.
11. The Canterbury Tales is considered an extremely important book, both in terms of English Literature & in the history of English writing. In your opinion, why is this book so important?
12. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is:
d. A medieval romance poem, with Arthurian themes.
13. Who is Sir Gwain?
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late 14th-century Middle English alliterative romance outlining an adventure of Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur's Round Table.
14. What is the challenge that The Green Knight proposes to the Knights of the Round Table?
The Green knight offers to allow anyone to strike him with his axe if the challenger will take a return blow in a year and a day.
15. What is the similarity between Sir Gwain and the Green Knight and the Irish tale of Cúchulainn?
the similarity is The beheading challenge.
16. What is the importance of the pentagram/pentangle in the poem?
describes the pentangle as a symbol of faithfulness and an "endless knot". It is described as "a sign by Solomon". Solomon, the third king of Israel, in 10th century B.C. was said to have the mark of the pentagram on his ring, which he received from the archangel Michael. The pentagram seal on this ring was said to give Solomon power over demons.The symbol was also associated with magical charms which, if recited or written on a weapon, would call forth magical forces. However, concrete evidence tying the magical pentagram to Gawain's pentangle is scarce.
17. How are numbers used to symbolize events in the poem?
The poet highlights number symbolism to add symmetry and meaning to the poem.
The number two also appears repeatedly, as in the two beheading scenes, two confession scenes, and two castles.
18. What is the significance of Sir Gwain's neck wound?
The neck, specifically, was believed to correlate with the part of the soul related to will, connecting the reasoning part (the head) and the courageous part (the heart). Gawain's sin resulted from using his will to separate reasoning from courage.
19. Which actor played The Green Knight in the film adaptation, Sword of the Valiant?
Sean Connery was the actor in the film.
20. In many ways this poem is, in the modern sense, a soap opera. Compare Sir Gwain and the Green Knight with a modern Chilean teleseries.
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