Folk Etymology as a Linguistic Phenomenon

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Drama, Anthologies
Cover of the book Folk Etymology as a Linguistic Phenomenon by Anastasia Castillo, GRIN Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Anastasia Castillo ISBN: 9783640705177
Publisher: GRIN Publishing Publication: September 15, 2010
Imprint: GRIN Publishing Language: English
Author: Anastasia Castillo
ISBN: 9783640705177
Publisher: GRIN Publishing
Publication: September 15, 2010
Imprint: GRIN Publishing
Language: English

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 3,0, University of Münster (Englisches Seminar), language: English, abstract: The English language belongs to the Indo-European group of languages. Modern English is regarded as the global lingua franca. The language is widely spoken all over the world and we encounter it in business, science, technology, advertising, travel, and some other domains. However, how could the language originally spoken by a few thousand Anglo-Saxons establish such dominance? The language evolved over centuries and how much the language has change since then is all too clear. Some of the words in present day English date back to Old English, while others come from many of the Indo-European languages. The arrival of other cultures to England had a significant impact on English linguistic history. The influence of Scandinavian, Latin and Romance languages can be clearly seen at all linguistic levels in English language. Historical linguistics is the study of language change. One of its main concerns is the study of the history of words. The discipline that analyses the origin, formation, and development of the word is defined as etymology. It is also a combination of word analysis and the study of literary text across language and time. However, it would not have developed into such an interesting discipline without the linguistic phenomenon of folk etymology. A foreign word that was hard to pronounce would be changed into something that sounded more familiar. Sometimes the change was made unconsciously due to mishearing or misunderstanding. This process frequently occurs when one language borrows a word from another. Since the Norman Conquest the English language was constantly adopting words due to external cultural influences. It is not entirely clear how many words entered English from other languages. But the meaning of some of them has also certainly changed. According to D. Crystal 'most of the words in the language have changed their meaning over the past thousand years, their original meanings forgotten'.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 3,0, University of Münster (Englisches Seminar), language: English, abstract: The English language belongs to the Indo-European group of languages. Modern English is regarded as the global lingua franca. The language is widely spoken all over the world and we encounter it in business, science, technology, advertising, travel, and some other domains. However, how could the language originally spoken by a few thousand Anglo-Saxons establish such dominance? The language evolved over centuries and how much the language has change since then is all too clear. Some of the words in present day English date back to Old English, while others come from many of the Indo-European languages. The arrival of other cultures to England had a significant impact on English linguistic history. The influence of Scandinavian, Latin and Romance languages can be clearly seen at all linguistic levels in English language. Historical linguistics is the study of language change. One of its main concerns is the study of the history of words. The discipline that analyses the origin, formation, and development of the word is defined as etymology. It is also a combination of word analysis and the study of literary text across language and time. However, it would not have developed into such an interesting discipline without the linguistic phenomenon of folk etymology. A foreign word that was hard to pronounce would be changed into something that sounded more familiar. Sometimes the change was made unconsciously due to mishearing or misunderstanding. This process frequently occurs when one language borrows a word from another. Since the Norman Conquest the English language was constantly adopting words due to external cultural influences. It is not entirely clear how many words entered English from other languages. But the meaning of some of them has also certainly changed. According to D. Crystal 'most of the words in the language have changed their meaning over the past thousand years, their original meanings forgotten'.

More books from GRIN Publishing

Cover of the book 'The Fall of the House of Usher' - More than fiction by Anastasia Castillo
Cover of the book Kant's foundation of moral actions by Anastasia Castillo
Cover of the book National Human Rights Institutions as a means to foster Good Governance and Human Rights in Developing Countries by Anastasia Castillo
Cover of the book Employee satisfaction - A precondition for economical success of service companies? by Anastasia Castillo
Cover of the book Why is the U.S. so religious? by Anastasia Castillo
Cover of the book Sport stocks. Investment risk or opportunity? by Anastasia Castillo
Cover of the book Variation in Scotland: The Linguistic Status of Scots Then and Now by Anastasia Castillo
Cover of the book CharlesTaylor - 'The Politics of Recognition' and Intercultural Tensions by Anastasia Castillo
Cover of the book Necessity of improving learners' self-esteem and lowering anxiety by Anastasia Castillo
Cover of the book The Variety in the Lexicon of Rap and Gospel by Anastasia Castillo
Cover of the book Über Upton Sinclair 'The Jungle' - Inhalt und Stilistik by Anastasia Castillo
Cover of the book The Freirean Approach to Adult literacy Education by Anastasia Castillo
Cover of the book The Origins of the German language - The First and Second Sound Shift by Anastasia Castillo
Cover of the book History and Perspective of Japanese Economy (1854-2000) by Anastasia Castillo
Cover of the book The influence of religious beliefs on long-term economic development by Anastasia Castillo
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy