Borrowings
English has absorbed thousands of words from other cultures throughout its history. From 597AD Latin loan words were used in law (‘conviction', ‘legitimate'), science (‘abacus', ‘mechanical') and religion (‘infinite', ‘limbo').
English has absorbed thousands of words from other cultures throughout its history. From 597AD Latin loan words were used in law (‘conviction', ‘legitimate'), science (‘abacus', ‘mechanical') and religion (‘infinite', ‘limbo').
The Norman Conquest in 1066 resulted in a
huge influx of French borrowings such as ‘mister', ‘mistress', and
‘blue', and ‘brown'. Old English archaisms were replaced by newly
borrowed French words. ‘People' replaced ‘leod', ‘beautiful' supplanted
‘wlitig'.
Trade and travel overseas brought thousands more lexical items including tea from Chinese (‘te' and ‘cha'), ‘ski' from Norwegian, ‘coach' from Hungarian, ‘khaki' from Urdu and ‘robot' from Czech.
Trade and travel overseas brought thousands more lexical items including tea from Chinese (‘te' and ‘cha'), ‘ski' from Norwegian, ‘coach' from Hungarian, ‘khaki' from Urdu and ‘robot' from Czech.
Back Formation
The removal of a real or assumed affix from a word results in the formation of new words. The word ‘surreal' is a back formation of ‘surrealist'; ‘beefburger' and ‘vegeburger' are back formations of hamburger, originally derived from the name of a German town! ‘Pease' was originally singular, but because it sounded plural a process of back formation resulted in the formation of a new singular form ‘pea'!
The -er affix is often removed in this process. Examples include swindle from swindler and stoke from stoker.
The removal of a real or assumed affix from a word results in the formation of new words. The word ‘surreal' is a back formation of ‘surrealist'; ‘beefburger' and ‘vegeburger' are back formations of hamburger, originally derived from the name of a German town! ‘Pease' was originally singular, but because it sounded plural a process of back formation resulted in the formation of a new singular form ‘pea'!
The -er affix is often removed in this process. Examples include swindle from swindler and stoke from stoker.
Compounding
Two or more words become bonded together. Examples include ‘woodland', ‘sunbeam' and ‘boyfriend'. Window is a compound formed from the Scandinavian ‘vindr' (wind) and ‘augr' (eye). Lady originated from an OE compound of ‘loaf' (half) and ‘dige' (digger) which denoted ‘bread kneader'!
Familiar examples today include ‘megastore', ‘laptop', ‘videocam', ‘skinhead', ‘houseboat', ‘paperback' and ‘daredevil'
Two or more words become bonded together. Examples include ‘woodland', ‘sunbeam' and ‘boyfriend'. Window is a compound formed from the Scandinavian ‘vindr' (wind) and ‘augr' (eye). Lady originated from an OE compound of ‘loaf' (half) and ‘dige' (digger) which denoted ‘bread kneader'!
Familiar examples today include ‘megastore', ‘laptop', ‘videocam', ‘skinhead', ‘houseboat', ‘paperback' and ‘daredevil'
Blends
Two or more words are merged into a new word. There is a less distinctive ‘join' between the words as in compounding. Examples include:
‘smog' (smoke + fog)
‘chunnel' (channel + tunnel)
‘docudrama' (documentary + drama)
‘vegeburger' (vegetarian + hamburger)
‘bash' (bang + smash)
Two or more words are merged into a new word. There is a less distinctive ‘join' between the words as in compounding. Examples include:
‘smog' (smoke + fog)
‘chunnel' (channel + tunnel)
‘docudrama' (documentary + drama)
‘vegeburger' (vegetarian + hamburger)
‘bash' (bang + smash)
Shortening
There is a natural tendency for words to be shortened for ease of articulation and simplicity. Clipping is one such process. Examples include ‘exam(ination)', ‘(omni)bus' and ‘gym(nasium)'. Another form of shortening is abbreviation: ‘bike' (bicycle), ‘fave' (favourite) and ‘flu' (influenza). Words are frequently shortened into acronyms: ‘UN' (United Nations), ‘EU' (European Union). Finally there is the process of derivation. Here words are created from the initial letters of other words, for example, ‘yuppie' (Young Urban Professional), ‘dinkies' (Double Income No Kids), ‘laser' (Light Amplification by Simulated Emission of Radiation).
There is a natural tendency for words to be shortened for ease of articulation and simplicity. Clipping is one such process. Examples include ‘exam(ination)', ‘(omni)bus' and ‘gym(nasium)'. Another form of shortening is abbreviation: ‘bike' (bicycle), ‘fave' (favourite) and ‘flu' (influenza). Words are frequently shortened into acronyms: ‘UN' (United Nations), ‘EU' (European Union). Finally there is the process of derivation. Here words are created from the initial letters of other words, for example, ‘yuppie' (Young Urban Professional), ‘dinkies' (Double Income No Kids), ‘laser' (Light Amplification by Simulated Emission of Radiation).
Archaism
Language reflects changes in society. Just as words are continually entering the English language, so words are gradually becoming redundant and disappearing. We are all familiar with the archaic pronouns of Shakespeare's time: ‘ye', ‘thee', ‘thou', and words such as ‘varlet', ‘forsooth' and ‘yonder' which are no longer in use. In the C19th, words such as ‘rantipole' (to behave rudely) ‘wittles' (food), ‘gaole' (prison) and ‘bobbish' (to be in good health) were all widely known yet are archaic today. We can already detect words that are dating and in some cases close to becoming extinct: ‘wireless' (radio), ‘breeches' (trousers) and ‘luncheon'. Slang often falls in and out of currency and can very quickly become dated. Words such as ‘square', ‘fab' and ‘groovy' are associated with the hippy era of the 60s and hardly used today.
Language reflects changes in society. Just as words are continually entering the English language, so words are gradually becoming redundant and disappearing. We are all familiar with the archaic pronouns of Shakespeare's time: ‘ye', ‘thee', ‘thou', and words such as ‘varlet', ‘forsooth' and ‘yonder' which are no longer in use. In the C19th, words such as ‘rantipole' (to behave rudely) ‘wittles' (food), ‘gaole' (prison) and ‘bobbish' (to be in good health) were all widely known yet are archaic today. We can already detect words that are dating and in some cases close to becoming extinct: ‘wireless' (radio), ‘breeches' (trousers) and ‘luncheon'. Slang often falls in and out of currency and can very quickly become dated. Words such as ‘square', ‘fab' and ‘groovy' are associated with the hippy era of the 60s and hardly used today.
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