《ThehistoryofEnglishin10minutesChapter1.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《ThehistoryofEnglishin10minutesChapter1.docx（6页珍藏版）》请在三一办公上搜索。
1、ThehistoryofEnglishin10minutesChapter1 Anglo-SaxonorwhateverhappenstotheJutesTheEnglishlanguagebeginswiththephraseUpYoursCaesar!AstheRomansleaveBritainandalotofGermanictribesstartfloodingin,tribessuchastheAnglesandtheSaxonswhotogethergaveusthetermAnglo-Saxon,antheJuteswhodidn,t.TheRomansleftsomevery
2、straightroadsbehind,butnotmuchoftheirLatinlanguage.TheAnglo-SaxonvocabwasmuchmoreusefulasitwasmainlywordsforsimpleeverydaythingslikehousewomanloafandwerewolfThursdayandFridaywerenamedinhonourofAnglo-Saxongods,buttheydidn,tbotherwithSaturday,SundayandMondayastheyhadallgoneoffforalongweekend.Whilethey
3、wereaway,ChristianmissionariesstoleinbringingwiththemleafletsaboutjumblesalesandmoreLatin.Christianitywasahitwiththelocalsandmadethemmuchhappiertotakeonfunkynewwordslikemartyr,bishop,andfont.AlongcametheVikings,withtheiraction-manwordslikedrag,ransack,thrust,anddie,andaloveofpickledherring.Theymayha
4、verapedandpillagedbuttherewerealsointogiveandtake,twoofaround2000wordsthattheygaveEnglish,aswellasthephrasewatchoutofforthatmanwiththeenormousaxe.Chapter2 TheNormanConquestorexcusemyEnglish1066Truetohisname,WilliamtheConquerorinvadesBritain,bringingnewconceptsfromacrossthechannelliketheFrenchlanguag
5、e,theDoomsdaybookandthedutyfreeGalois,smultipack.Frenchwasderigeurforallofficialbusiness,withwordslikejudge,jury,evidence9,andjustice,cominginandgivingJohnGrisham,scareerakick-start.LatinwasstillusedadnauseaminChurch,andthecommonmanspokeEnglishabletocommunicateonlybyspeakingmoreslowlyandloudlyuntilt
6、heothersunderstoodhim.Wordslikecow,sheep,andswine,comefromtheEnglish-speakingfarmers,whilethealacarteversions-beef,mutton,andpoke,comefromtheFrench-speakingtoffsbeginningalongrunningtrendforrestaurantshavingcompletelyindecipherablemenus.Allinall,theEnglishhaveenrolledabout10,000newwordsfromtheNorman
7、Buttheystillcouldn,tdrafttheLordwith(Inaudible).ThebonhomieallendedwhentheEnglishnationtooktheirnewwarlikelingoofarmies9,navies,andsoldiers9andbegantheHundredYearsWaragainstFrance.Itactuallylasted116yearsbutbythatpointnoonecouldcountanyhigherinFrenchandEnglishtookoverasthelanguageofpower.Chapter3 Sh
8、akespeareoraplaqueonbothhishousesAsthedictionarytellsus,about2000newwordsandphrasewereinventedbyShakespeare.HegaveushandywordsIileeyeball,puppy-dog,andanchovy,andmoreshow-offywordslikedauntless9,4besmirch,andlackluister,.Hecameupwiththewordalligator9soonafterheranoutofthingstorthymewithcrocodileAnda
9、nationoftea-drinkersfinallytookhimtotheirheartswhenheinventedthehobnob,.Shakespeareknewthepowerofcatchphrasesaswellasbiscuits.WithouthimWewouldnevereatourfleshandblood,outofhouseandhome,wedhavetosaygoodriddance,tothegreen-eyedmonster,andbreakingtheice,wouldbeasdeadasadoornai.Ifyoutridtogetyourmoney,
10、sworthyou,dbegivenshortshrift,andanyonewhoiaiditonwithatrowecouldbehoistwithhisownpetard,.Ofcourseit,spossibleotherpeopleusedthesewordsfirst,butthedictionarywriterslikedlookingthemupinShakespearebecausetherewasmorecross-dressingandpeoplepokingeachother,seyesout.Shakespeare9SpoetryshowedtheworldthatE
11、nglishwasalanguageasrichvibrantlanguagewithlimitlessexpressiveandemotionalpower.AndhestillhadtimetoopenallthosetearoomsinStratford.Chapter4TheKingJamesBibleorlighttherebelightreadingIn1611thepowersthatbe,turnedtheworldupsidedown,withalabouroflove,anewtranslationofthebible.Ateamofscribeswiththewisdom
12、ofSolomon,-wenttheextramile,tomakeKingJames,stranslationallthingstoallmenwhetherfromtheirheart,sdesire,tofightthegoodfight,orjustforthetfilthylucre9.ThissexynewBiblewentfromstrengthtostrengthgettingtotherootofthematter9inalanguageeventhesaltoftheearth,couldunderstand.tThewritingwasn,tonthewall9,itwa
13、sinhandylittlebooksandwithfireandbrimstone,preachersreadingfromitineverychurch,itswordsandphrasetookrOOtltOtheendsoftheearth,wellatleasttheendsofBritain.TheKingJamesBibleisthebookthattaughtusthataleopardcan,tchangeitssports9,thatabirdinthehandisworthtwointhebush,thatawolfinsheep,sclothing,isharderto
14、spotthanyouwouldimagine,andhowannoyingitistohaveaflyinyourointment9.Infact,justasJonathanbegatMeribbaal;andMeribbaalbegatMicah.AndMicahbegatPithon,theKingJamesBiblebegatawholeglossaryofmetaphorandmoralitythatstillshapesthewayEnglishisspokentoday.Amen.Chapter5TheEnglishofScienceOrhowtospeakwithgravit
15、yBeforethe17theCenturyscientistsweren,treallyrecognizedpossiblybecauselab-coatshadyettocatchon.ButsuddenlyBritainwasfullofphysiciststherewasRobertHooke,RobertBoyleandevensomepeoplenotcalledRobert,likeIsaacNewton.TheRoyalSocietywasformedoutoftheInvisibleCollegeaftertheyputitdownsomewhereandcouldn,tfi
16、nditagain.AtfirsttheyworkedinLatin.AftersittingthroughNewton,sstoryaboutthepomumfallingtotheterra,fromthearbor,fortheumpteenthtime,thebrightsparksrealizedtheyallspokeEnglishandcouldtransformourunderstandingoftheuniversemuchquickerbytalkingintheirownlanguage.Butsciencewasdiscoveringthingsfasterthanth
17、eycouldnamethem.Wordslike4acid,gravity9,electricityandpendulum9hadtobeinventedjusttostoptheirmeetingsturningintoanendlessgameofcharades.Liketeenageboys,thescientistssuddenlybecameawareofthehumanbodycoiningnewwordslikecardiac9andttonsi,4ovary,andsternum-andtheinventionofpenis,(1693),vagina,(1682)made
18、sexeducationclassesabiteasiertofollow.Thoughandclitoris,wasstillasourceofconfusion.Chapter 6 EnglishandEmpireorThesunneversetontheEnglishlanguageWithEnglishmakingitsnameasthelanguageofsciencetheBibleandShakespeare,Britaindecidedtotakeitontour.Askingonlyforland,wealth,naturalresources,totalobediencet
19、othecrownandafewlocalwordsinreturn.TheywenttotheCaribbeanlookingforgoldandachancetoreallyunwinddiscoveringthebarbeque,thecanoe,andaprettygoodrecipeforrumpunch.Theyalsobroughtbackthewordcannibal,tomaketheirtripsoundmoreexciting.InIndiatherewassomethingforeveryone.Yogatohelpyoustayinshape,whilepretend
20、ingtobespiritual.Ifthatdidn,tworktherewasthecummerbund,tohideapaunchand-ifyoucouldn,tevenmakeitupthestairswithoutturningcrimsontheyhadthebungalow.MeanwhileinAfricatheypickedupwordslikevoodoo,andtzombie,kickingofftheteenhorrorfilmandevenmoreterrifying,theybroughthometheworld,stwomostannoyingmusicalin
21、strumentsthebongo,andthebanjo,.FromAustralia,Englishtookthewordsnugget,boomerang,andwalkabout,andinfactthewholeconceptofchainpubs.BetweentopplingNapoleon(1815)andthefirstWordWar(1914),theBritishEmpiregobbleduparound10millionssquaremiles,400millionpeopleandnearlyahundredthousandginandtonics,leavingne
22、wvarietiesofEnglishtodevelopallovertheglobe.Chapter 7 TheAgeoftheDictionaryOrthedefinitionofahopelesstaskWithEnglishexpandinginalldirections,alongcameanewbreedofmencalledlexicographers,whowantedtoputandendtothisanarchyawordtheydefinedaswhathappenswhenpeoplespellwordsslightlydifferentlyfromeachother9
23、.OneofthegreatestwasDoctorJohnson,whoseDictionaryoftheEnglishLanguage9whichtookhim9yearstowrite.Itwas18inchestalland20incheswideandcontained42,773entriesmeaningthatevenifyoucouldn,treaditwasstillprettyusefulifyouwantedtoreachahighshelfForthefirsttime,whenpeoplewerecallingyouapickleherring9(ajack-pud
24、ding;amerryandrew;azany;abuffoon),aJobbemnowlloggerhead;blockhead)orafopdoodle,(afool;aninsignificantwretch)youcouldunderstandexactlywhattheymeantandyou,dhavetheconsolationofknowingtheyallusedthestandardspelling.Tryashemighttostopthem,wordskeptbeinginventedandin1857anewbookwasStartedwhichwouldbecome
25、theOxfordEnglishDictionary.Ittookanother70yearstobefinishedafterthefirsteditorresignedtobeArchbishop,theseconddiedofTBandthethirdwassoboringthathalfhisvolunteersquitandoneoftheendedupinanAsylum.Iteventuallyappearedin1928andhascontinuedtoberevisedeversinceprovingthewholeideathatyoucanstoppeoplemakingupwordsiscompleteSnufTbumble.
