This Bachelor Thesis will be analyzing the English language by investigating selected historical events which influenced the English language system and are therefore reasons for the contemporary state of Modern English (ModE).
The following question for this paper arises: "What major historic events influenced the English language and what impact did they have in a degree that is still visible in Modern English?" At first, a terminology section will be provided to explain the terms which will be used.
After that, by using diachronic facts, synchronic ModE characteristics in terms of lexicon and orthography will be analyzed. Subsequently, historical explanations will be given to underline the features and irregularities of ModE. This data will then be used to answer the question of this Bachelor Thesis.
Approximately 400 million people around the world learn English as their first language. Further studies have shown that around 1500 million people are able to speak English to some degree. This does not take into account the tremendous amount of people who learn English as their second language.
English itself was brought to England when Celtic was the main language before the German-speaking Anglo-Saxons came and influenced the existing language. It was then influenced by numerous other languages such as French which found its way into England after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
According to Ferdinand de Saussure, linguists agree that living languages which are actively used are constantly changing throughout time. English is very interesting as it was so strongly affected even though only around 1500 years have passed since English came into existence. I became exceptionally interested in where the Modern English (ModE) irregularities and features originated from and how English developed into its contemporary form.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Terminology
3. Modern English characteristics
3.1 Lexicon
3.1.1 Suffixes: Stress shifting
3.1.2 Allomorphy
3.1.3 Bound roots
3.2 Orthography
3.2.1 Phonological changes: Long Vowels and Diphthongs
3.2.2 Silent Graphemes
3.2.3 Digraphs
4. Historical explanations
4.1 Norman Conquest
4.1.1 New diphthongs
4.1.2 The fricative voice contrast
4.2 Great Vowel Shift
4.3 Loss of sounds
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This thesis examines the linguistic development of Modern English by analyzing how significant historical events shaped the contemporary English language system. The central research question explores which major historic events influenced the language and to what extent their impacts remain visible in the lexical and orthographic irregularities of Modern English today.
- Diachronic development of the English language
- Influence of the Norman Conquest on the lexicon
- Morphological and phonological irregularities
- The role of the Great Vowel Shift in orthographic inconsistencies
- Stress patterns and allomorphy in modern English
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.1 Suffixes: Stress shifting
Any given lexeme consists of one or several syllables. It is obligatory that one syllable receives the “primary stress” or “strong stress”. Syllables that receive stress can either be long vowels or diphthongs (Jensen, 1993, S. 77). Due to the fact that the English language has been influenced by many other languages, such as Germanic languages, Greek, Latin and French, which lead to borrowings and loan words, the principles of stress which are steady in other languages such as German do not apply to English. Germanic stress rules require words to always receive stress on the root of the lexeme. However, English has no such stress rules and is therefore often considered to be unpredictable in terms of the placement of stress. It can be stated that Polysyllabic words always receive “main stress” on one syllable and secondary stress on another syllable. Nonetheless, these rules are not consistent and suffixes can change the stress pattern when they are attached to the root (Meyer, 2005). English is confronted with three different types of suffixes which can change the stress pattern:
1. Stress-neutral suffixes (the suffix -y in cloudy does not change the stress compared to the input signifier cloud)
2. Stress-attracting suffixes (suffixes like -aire in bazzillionaire will shift the stress from the second syllable to the last syllable)
3. Stress-shifting suffixes (-ity in additionality functions as an example for a stress-shifting suffix as it transfers the stress from the second to the fourth syllable).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the scope of the study, defining the research question regarding the historical influences on the current state of Modern English.
2. Terminology: This chapter clarifies essential linguistic concepts, including orthography, phonology, phonemes, graphemes, and morphology, which are necessary for the subsequent analysis.
3. Modern English characteristics: This section analyzes the synchronic features of Modern English, focusing on lexical stress patterns, allomorphy, and the orthographic complexities inherent in the language.
4. Historical explanations: This chapter connects the analyzed synchronic features to specific diachronic events, such as the Norman Conquest and the Great Vowel Shift, to explain the origin of irregularities.
5. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the findings, confirming that the historical events discussed significantly impacted the structure of Modern English, leaving visible traces in its orthography and lexicon.
Keywords
Modern English, Diachronic Linguistics, Synchronic Linguistics, Norman Conquest, Great Vowel Shift, Phonology, Orthography, Lexicology, Stress Shifting, Allomorphy, Morphological Analysis, Language Evolution, Borrowings, Suffixes, Historical Linguistics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on explaining the irregularities and features of Modern English by examining the diachronic historical events that influenced its development.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The themes include the influence of foreign languages on the lexicon, the evolution of orthography, phonological changes like vowel shifts, and the morphological behavior of English words.
What is the central research question?
The research asks which major historical events influenced the English language and to what degree their impact remains visible in the current linguistic system.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The paper employs a diachronic approach to analyze historical developments and relates these to the synchronic state of Modern English.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body details the Modern English lexicon (stress shifts, allomorphy, bound roots) and orthography (vowel changes, silent graphemes, digraphs), followed by historical analysis of events like the Norman Conquest and the Great Vowel Shift.
How would you characterize this work through keywords?
The work is characterized by terms such as historical linguistics, phonology, language evolution, and orthographic development.
How does the Norman Conquest specifically influence the English lexicon?
The Norman Conquest led to a massive influx of French vocabulary, significantly impacting English by replacing upper-class and governmental terminology with French borrowings.
Why are there so many irregular spelling conventions in English?
According to the thesis, these are largely due to the retention of historical spellings, the influence of Latin/French etymological spellings, and the inconsistent way English adapted to foreign borrowings over time.
What role does the "Great Vowel Shift" play in the language's development?
The Great Vowel Shift describes a major, gradual change in the quality of long vowels over 300 years, which permanently altered English pronunciation and created significant discrepancies between phonemes and traditional spellings.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Philip Wunderlich (Autor:in), 2016, The Influence of Major Historic Events on the English Language Today, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/497089
