Historical Grammar6

2016-01-13

Latin

• The first period - Latin through Celtic

• > 600 words borrowed first by the Celts (Celtic transmission) then to English

• ceaster (L. castra)

• port (L. porta, portus)

• munt (L. mons)

• wic (L. vicus)

• e.g. Manchester, Gatwick, Stockport

• The Second period - Latin through Christianity

• After the conversion of Britain in AD 597

• Two phases: Early OE connected with rapid growth of Christianity in Britain

• Most words connected with the Church: abbot, cleric, deacon, nun, pope, priest, synod

• Religious services: anthem, hymn, litany, mass, psalm

• Utensils: altar, candle, chalice, organ, shrine, tunic

• Domestic life: cap, cosk, silk, beet, pear, oyster

• Education: school, master, grammatical

• The Second phase: the Benedictine reform of the monastic life in lOth century, activities of King Alfred the Great, improvement of education

• Latin borrowings connected with science and schooling: accent, history, term, title

• Plants: cucumber, fig, ginger, laurel

• Animals: camel, scorpion, tiger

• Religion: creed, demon, idol, prophet, synagogue

• Not assimilated often: basilica, cathedra, prologus

• Scandinavian place names

• Territories of Danelaw

• Names ending in

• -by (Danish by 'farm, town'): Rugby, Whitby, Derby

• -thorp ('village') Althorpe,

• -thwaite ('a piece of land') Applethwaite,

• -toft ('a piece of ground') Eastof,

• People's names:

• -son: Johnson, Jameson, Stevenson, Richardson