Latin Loans. into Germanic into Old English into Middle English into Early Modern English

Latin Loans

Latin Loans

• into Germanic

• into Old English

• into Middle English

• into Early Modern English

Latin cuprum, OE copor, Engl. copperHow do we know this is a loanword?

Latin Loans: dating

Indo-Europeank – p - r

Latincuprum

Germanich – f - r

Grimm'sLaw

Latin cuprum, OE copor, Engl. copperHow do we know this is a loanword into early Germanic?

Latin Loans: dating

English copper

German Kupfer

Dutch koper

Dan - Nor kobber

Swedish koppar

Icelandic kopar

Latin in Gaul changed -pr- to -vr- in 7th cent. - Modern French cuivre

So it must have come into Germanic earlier than the 7th cent.

Latin cuprum, OE copor, Engl. copperHow do we know this is a loanword into early Germanic?

Latin Loans: dating

1. Latin Loans: into GermanicLatin OE

balteus 'girdle' belt

puteus 'pit' pytt

crédo 'i believe' créda 'creed'

uncia 'twelfth part' ynce 'inch'

diaconus 'deacon' diacon

Sagéna 'Seine' Segne

pulvinus 'cushion' pyle 'pillow'

sabbatum 'sabbath' sabat

cucina 'kitchen' cycene 'kitchen'

catillus 'small dish' cetel 'kettle'

**

*

*

**

*

1. Latin Loans: into Germanicvowel mutation, umlaut, hljóðvarp

dagur-dögum, krati krötum, land lönd

i-mutation:

u – mutation:

dagur degi, fótur fæti


Do not confuse with:vowel gradation, ablaut, hljóðskipti

sing sang songbjóða beið buðum boðið


i-mutation occurred before the earliest extant records of OE in 6th cent.

words that underwent this change must have arrived in English before that date.

æ > e

a > e á > ǽ

o > e ó > é

u > y ú > ý

ea > ie > y éa > íe > ý

eo > ie > y éo > íe > ý

io > ie > y ío > íe > ý

i-mutation in Old English, before 6th cent.

1. Latin Loans: into GermanicLatin OE

balteus 'girdle' belt

puteus 'pit' pytt

crédo 'i believe' créda 'creed'

uncia 'twelfth part' ynce 'inch'

diaconus 'deacon' diacon

Sagéna 'Seine' Segne

pulvinus 'cushion' pyle 'pillow'

sabbatum 'sabbath' sabat

cucina 'kitchen' cycene 'kitchen'

catillus 'small dish' cetel 'kettle'

**

*

*

**

*

a → ea / ___ rC, lC, h

“a becomes ea beforer+consonant, l+consonant, and h”

half > healf

early in the OE period (before records)

1. Latin Loans: into Germanicbreaking

1. Latin Loans: into Germanic

Latin OE

vallum 'wall' weall

arca 'chest' earc

calcem 'lime' cealc 'chalk

abbadem 'abbot' abbad

camélus camel

sanctus sanct 'saint'


camélus camel



Compare with later loans:

For more words from this period:

Baugh §58 p. 79“Continental Borrowing (Latin Influences of the Zero Period)”


2. Latin Loans: into Old English

i-mutationbreaking


Latin loans which do not show i-mutation or breaking must have entered the language after the 6th century.

Before the OE period OE period

Germanic

Latin OE

moneta 'money' mynet 'mint'

cometa 'comet' cometa

coquina 'kitchen' cycene

coquus 'cook' cóc

Before or during the OE period?


camélus camel



LATIN

moneta

cometa

OLD ENGLISH

mynet

comet

i-mutation


LATIN

coquina

cōcus

OLD ENGLISH

cycene

cóc

i-mutation

??


OE period


• Baugh §59 p. 81

Latin through Celtic (Latin Influence of the First Period)

castra ‘camp' -ceaster Manchester,Doncaster

vicus ‘village, district' wíc Norwich, Greenwich,

Sandwich, Berwick

vinum ‘wine' wín


• Baugh §60-62 p. 82-87

Latin Influence of the Second Period: the Christianizing of Britain

candela candel

nona hora ‘ninth hour' nón ‘three o’clock in the afternoon’

presbyter ‘priest' préost


• Baugh §63-5 p. 87-91

Later borrowings: Christianity, science

apostle cantor prophethistory paper termcucumber ginger cyprus fig laurelcancer plaster

Middle English

3. Latin Loans: into Middle English


• This process continues in Middle English as science and technology progresses.

• Both French and English took learned words from Latin; it is not always possible to say whether a loan into English comes through French or straight from Latin.


• Baugh § 142 p.184 “Latin Borrowings in Middle English”

adjacent frustrate genius incredible index interrupt quiet solitary suppress testimony


• § 143 p.185 “Aureate Terms”conscious introduction of ornate and unusual words which have since died out:

abusion dispone diurne

- although some have been retained

mediation oriental


• § 144 p.186 “Synonyms on three levels”

fire – flame – conflagrationtime – age - epoch

• Saxon – “strong, simple, direct”• French – stylistic• Latin – learned, bookish

Baugh points out that large numbers of French words are no less robust and powerful than English ones, and that this distinction is to some extent based on prejudice

Baugh p. 186

Baugh 144 continued –

ignore the many hundreds of words from French which are equally simple and as capable of conveying a vivid image, idea, or emotion-nouns like bar, beak, cell, cry, fool, frown, fury, glory, guile, gullet, horror, humor, isle, pity, river, rock, ruin, stain, stuff, touch, wreck, or adjectives such as calm, clear, cruel, eager, fierce, gay, mean, rude, safe, tender, to take examples almost at random. The truth is that many of the most vivid and forceful words in English are French, and even where the French and Latin words are more literary or learned, as indeed they often are, they are no less valuable and important.

continued ..

The richness of English in synonyms is largely due to the happy mingling of Latin, French, and native elements. It has been said that we have a synonym at each level-popular, literary, and learned. Although this statement must not be pressed too hard, a difference is often apparent, as in rise-mount ascend, ask-question-interrogate, goodness-virtue-probity, fast-firm secure, fire-flame-conflagration, fear-terror-trepidation, holy-sacred consecrated, time-age-epoch. In each of these sets of three words the first is English, the second is from French, and the third from Latin. The difference in tone between the English and the French words is often slight; the Latin word is generally more bookish. However, it is more important to recognize the distinctive uses of each than to form prejudices in favor of one group above another.

Early Modern English

4. Latin Loans: into Early Modern English

• The beginning of the end for Latin as a scientific language.

• Number of Latin loans increases as the use of Latin as a written language begins to decline

(cf French loanwords)


• Shakespeare’s 20 years in LondonEffectual effectuous effectful effectuating effective

– Many of the words objected to have now become common

– Often different meanings when first introducedexpect (wait) enlargement (freedom) humorous (wet,

damp)


Baugh §157 p. 214

Baugh §157 p. 216-7

• “Inkhorn terms” § 158 p. 217


Baugh § 158 p.217Sir John Cheke, 1561

Thomas Wilson, Arte of Rhetorique 1553Baugh p.218

• “Inkhorn terms” § 158 p. 217– read particularlythe quote frm Thomas

Wilson’s Arte of Rhetorique on p.218– and the next 2 sections, § 159 The Defense of

Borrowing and § 160 Compromise.


Baugh p.221, George Pettie:

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Latin Loans. into Germanic into Old English into Middle English into Early Modern English