The number of Scandinavian loanwords for which the evidence of being part of the English language is fully convincing is about 900 and these are almost always words designating common everyday things and fundamental concepts. It also exists an equal number of words which are probably of Scandinavian origin or in which the influence of Scandinavian forms has entered. Today there are thousands of Scandinavian loan words in the English Language. Most of the Scandinavian loan words first appeared in the written language in Middle English (1100 - 1500), but many were no doubt borrowed earlier, during the period of the Danelaw from the ninth till the tenth century.
The aim of the paper is to give evidence whether the "Alliterative Morte Arthure" was told under strong or weak Scandinavian influences in England, perhaps in the areas of the Danelaw or elsewhere. It is therefore necessary to give a brief history of the settlement of Scandinavian tribes in England and their influence on the language as well as a general overview of possible loans and how to test them. Afterwards the existence and meaning of Scandinavian loan words in the Alliterative Morte Arthure will be analyzed and discussed.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. How the Scandinavians entered England
3. Consequences of the invasion
4. What can be said about the borrowings in general
5. Borrowings that give evidence of Scandinavian influences
6. Findings in the “Alliterative Morte Arthure”
7. Conclusion
Bibliography
Objectives and Research Focus
This paper aims to investigate the extent of Scandinavian influence on the Middle English text "Alliterative Morte Arthure." By analyzing historical background and linguistic data, the work seeks to determine whether the text exhibits strong or weak Scandinavian linguistic markers, potentially indicating the geographic origin of the unknown author within areas like the Danelaw.
- Historical settlement patterns of Scandinavian tribes in England.
- General overview and identification criteria for Scandinavian loanwords.
- Categorical analysis of linguistic borrowings (nouns, verbs, adjectives, functional words).
- Detailed evaluation of sound developments and grammatical inflections in the "Alliterative Morte Arthure."
Excerpt from the Book
2. How the Scandinavians entered England
The Scandinavian influence is the third big influence of language on the English language. The inhabitants of the Scandinavian peninsula and Denmark were one-time neighbours of the Anglo-Saxons and closely related to them in language and blood. While they remained quietly till the eight century they then started adventures. Possible reasons were of economic or political nature. While The Swedes established themselves in Russia the Norwegians colonized parts of the British Isles, the Faroes, Iceland, Greenland and the coast of Labrador and the Danes finally founded the dukedom of Normandy and conquered England. This can also be seen on the map.
The Danes are therefore those who had the most extensive influence of all Scandinavian parties in the English language. The invasion of England was started from the sea and so the invaders were called Vikings. This name comes from the term viking derived from Old Norse vīk, a bay, as indicating ‘one who came out from, or frequented, inlets of the sea’ and hence the age was named Viking Age. This period of time can be distinguished into three stages: firstly into the period of early raids (787 - 850) which were simply plundering attacks of small isolated bands upon towns and monasteries near the coast. The second stage (850 - 878) included widespread plundering in all parts of the country and extensive settlement - a work of large armies. The third period (878 - 1042) was characterized as a time of political adjustment and assimilation.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the scope of Scandinavian loanwords in English and outlines the goal of assessing the "Alliterative Morte Arthure" for such linguistic influences.
2. How the Scandinavians entered England: Provides a historical overview of Scandinavian migrations and the three stages of their interaction with the British Isles.
3. Consequences of the invasion: Details the establishment of the Danelaw, place-name evidence, and the integration of settlers into English society.
4. What can be said about the borrowings in general: Discusses the nature of language contact between Old Norse and English and the typical time lag for written evidence.
5. Borrowings that give evidence of Scandinavian influences: Explains the classification of loanwords into sound levels, word classes, and functional word groups.
6. Findings in the “Alliterative Morte Arthure”: Documents the specific linguistic evidence found in the text, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and grammatical endings.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes the quantitative findings and argues for a strong Scandinavian influence on the text, suggesting a probable origin in the Danelaw.
Bibliography: Lists the academic sources used to support the linguistic analysis.
Keywords
Scandinavian influence, Alliterative Morte Arthure, Middle English, loanwords, Danelaw, Old Norse, linguistic borrowing, etymology, historical linguistics, grammar, inflections, word classes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the presence and impact of Scandinavian linguistic elements within the Middle English text "Alliterative Morte Arthure" to determine the extent of its cultural and regional influence.
What are the key thematic areas addressed?
The research covers historical Viking settlements in England, the evolution of Old Norse loanwords, grammatical assimilation, and a systematic classification of specific linguistic markers found in the analyzed text.
What is the primary objective of the study?
The primary goal is to provide evidence of Scandinavian influence on the "Alliterative Morte Arthure," ultimately arguing that the work was likely authored in or near the Danelaw territory.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The paper utilizes a comparative linguistic approach, identifying loanwords by categorizing them into sound levels, word classes, and functional elements, which are then cross-referenced with historical linguistic data.
What is analyzed in the main body of the work?
The main body investigates historical migration patterns, the mechanics of language borrowing, the identification of specific nouns, verbs, and adjectives, and the presence of Scandinavian grammatical inflections in the poem.
Which keywords best describe this study?
The study is characterized by terms such as Scandinavian influence, Alliterative Morte Arthure, Old Norse loanwords, Danelaw, Middle English linguistics, and language assimilation.
How frequent were Scandinavian loanwords in the text?
The author identified 76 different words of Scandinavian origin appearing 1813 times in a text of approximately 30,200 words, accounting for roughly six percent of the total vocabulary.
Does the text show evidence of Scandinavian place names?
Interestingly, the author found no evidence of Scandinavian place names or surnames within the "Alliterative Morte Arthure," despite the high frequency of other Scandinavian loanwords.
Why does the author focus on functional words?
Functional words are considered more significant than nouns or verbs because grammatical inflections are rarely transferred between languages; therefore, their presence suggests a very strong, deep-rooted linguistic influence.
- Quote paper
- M.A. Sina Neumann (Author), 2002, Scandinavian influences in the Alliterative Morte Arthure, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/6913
