Where did English come from? - Claire Bowern

Summary

This script explores the evolution of the English language, tracing its roots from modern usage back to its ancient origins. It explains how Old English, influenced by Germanic tribes and Old Norse, transformed with the Norman invasion, incorporating French and Latin. Comparative linguistics reveals systematic sound shifts and vocabulary that connect English to its Proto-Germanic and Proto-Indo-European ancestors, highlighting the rich tapestry of a language family spoken by billions, shaped by thousands of years of history.

Takeaways

• 🌐 English is not a single, unchanging language but has evolved through generations with major changes over time.
• 📚 The dialects spoken worldwide and historical writings like Chaucer's and Beowulf's are connected through the evolution of English.
• 🏰 The Norman invasion of 1066 significantly impacted English by introducing French and Latin vocabulary, forming what we now call Old English.
• 🇬🇧 Old English, the language of Beowulf, is part of the Germanic language family and has similarities with modern German.
• 🛡️ Anglo-Saxon, the Germanic dialect brought by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in the 5th and 6th centuries, is the precursor to Old English.
• ⚔️ The influence of Viking invasions added Old Norse vocabulary to the evolving English language.
• 🔍 Comparative linguistics helps trace the roots of modern English by examining grammatical structures, sound changes, and core vocabulary.
• 🔄 Systematic shifts like 'p' to 'pf' in German and 'sk' to 'sh' in English illustrate the divergence and convergence of language over time.
• 🌳 The concept of Proto-Germanic, spoken around 500 B.C.E., is a common ancestor language for English, Swedish, German, and others, reconstructed through comparison.
• 🌍 Proto-Indo-European, spoken about 6000 years ago, is the reconstructed ancestor of the Indo-European language family, which includes most European languages and some in Asia.
• 🔗 The systematic correspondences between words in different Indo-European branches, such as English and Latin, reveal a common heritage.
• 🏞️ The origins of Proto-Indo-European are traced back to the Pontic steppe, highlighting the deep historical roots of many modern languages.
• 🤔 Despite the depth of linguistic reconstruction, mysteries remain about potential links between Indo-European and other language families, as well as pre-Indo-European European languages.

Q & A

What does the script suggest about the nature of the English language?

The script suggests that English is not a single, unchanging language but has evolved through generations of speakers, undergoing major changes over time.

How did the Norman invasion of England in 1066 influence the English language?

The Norman invasion introduced a significant amount of French and Latin vocabulary into the English language, as the French-speaking Normans became the ruling class and brought their speech with them.

What is Old English, and how is it related to the works of Beowulf?

Old English is the language spoken in England before the Norman invasion, and it is the language of Beowulf, making it recognizable to those familiar with Germanic languages.

How are the Germanic languages related to the English language?

English belongs to the Germanic language family, which was first brought to the British Isles by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in the 5th and 6th centuries, becoming known as Anglo-Saxon.

What role did the Vikings play in the development of the English language?

Viking invaders in the 8th to 11th centuries added more borrowings from Old Norse into the English language, influencing its development.

How can comparative linguistics help us understand the roots of modern English?

Comparative linguistics focuses on grammatical structure, patterns of sound changes, and core vocabulary to trace the language from the present day back to its ancient roots.

What is an example of a systematic sound change that occurred in German and Old English?

After the 6th century, German words starting with 'p' shifted to a 'pf' sound, while Old English words retained the 'p' sound.

What is the significance of the 'sk' to 'sh' sound shift in English?

The 'sk' to 'sh' sound shift is an example of how English has evolved, with words like 'skirt' and 'skull' being direct borrowings from Old Norse that came after this shift.

What is Proto-Germanic, and how does it relate to English and other Germanic languages?

Proto-Germanic is the common ancestor of English, Swedish, German, and many other languages, spoken around 500 B.C.E., and is reconstructed by comparing its descendants.

What is the Proto-Indo-European language, and how does it connect to English?

Proto-Indo-European is the reconstructed ancestor of the Indo-European language family, which includes English, spoken about 6000 years ago, and is traced by finding systematic similarities between related words in different Indo-European branches.

How does the script describe the relationship between English and other Indo-European languages?

The script describes systematic correspondences between English and other Indo-European languages, such as English having 't' where Latin has 'd', and 'f' where Latin has 'p' at the start of words.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 The Evolution of English Language

This paragraph delves into the historical evolution of the English language, highlighting its transformation from Old English to its modern form. It discusses how English, like other languages, has absorbed influences from various dialects and languages over time, such as French and Latin, particularly after the Norman invasion of 1066. The paragraph also touches on the Germanic roots of English, brought to Britain by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, and the subsequent borrowings from Old Norse by Viking invaders. Comparative linguistics is introduced as a tool to trace the language's development, focusing on grammatical structures and sound changes, to reveal its ancient roots and connections to Proto-Germanic and Proto-Indo-European languages.

Keywords

💡English dialects

The term 'English dialects' refers to the various forms of the English language spoken in different regions around the world. These dialects, while distinct, share a common origin and have evolved over time. In the video's context, it emphasizes the diversity and commonality among these dialects, highlighting the historical evolution of the English language from its ancient roots to its modern forms.

💡Evolution of language

The 'evolution of language' is the process by which a language changes and develops over time, influenced by various factors such as cultural exchanges, migrations, and political events. The script discusses this concept to explain how English has transformed from Old English to its present form, incorporating elements from other languages and reflecting the historical changes in its speakers' societies.

💡Norman invasion of 1066

The 'Norman invasion of 1066' is a pivotal historical event that had a significant impact on the English language. The script mentions this event to illustrate how the French-speaking Normans, who became the ruling class in England, introduced a large amount of French and Latin vocabulary into the English language, profoundly influencing its development.

💡Old English

'Old English' is the term used to describe the form of the English language spoken between the 5th and 11th centuries. It is characterized by its Germanic roots and is notably different from the English we know today. The script uses Old English to demonstrate the ancient origins of the language and its connections to other Germanic languages.

💡Germanic language family

The 'Germanic language family' is a branch of the larger Indo-European language family, which includes languages such as English, German, Dutch, and Swedish. The script discusses this family to show the linguistic connections and commonalities among these languages, tracing the roots of English back to the Germanic dialects brought to Britain by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.

💡Anglo-Saxon

'Anglo-Saxon' refers to the Germanic dialects spoken by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes who migrated to the British Isles in the 5th and 6th centuries. These dialects evolved into Old English. The script uses the term to illustrate the early linguistic influences on the English language and its Germanic heritage.

💡Old Norse

'Old Norse' is the North Germanic language that was spoken by the Vikings. The script mentions Old Norse to highlight the linguistic contributions of the Viking invasions to the English language, particularly the incorporation of Norse vocabulary into Old English.

💡Comparative linguistics

'Comparative linguistics' is the study of languages to determine their historical relationships and to reconstruct their earlier forms. The script uses this concept to explain how scholars can trace the development of English and other languages by examining grammatical structures, sound changes, and core vocabulary across different languages.

💡Proto-Germanic

'Proto-Germanic' is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Germanic languages, spoken around 500 B.C.E. The script refers to Proto-Germanic to illustrate the deeper linguistic roots of English and other Germanic languages, showing how these languages evolved from a common source.

💡Proto-Indo-European

'Proto-Indo-European' is the reconstructed proto-language from which the Indo-European language family is believed to have descended, dating back about 6000 years. The script discusses this proto-language to demonstrate the even more ancient origins of English and its relation to a wide range of languages spoken in Europe and Asia.

💡Indo-European family

The 'Indo-European family' encompasses a large group of languages that includes English, Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, and many others, historically spoken across Europe, Western and Southern Asia. The script uses this term to emphasize the widespread linguistic connections and the historical significance of the Indo-European languages in shaping the languages we know today.

Highlights

English is a language that has evolved through generations of speakers, undergoing major changes over time.

Modern English shares many similar words with Latin-derived romance languages like French and Spanish, but these were not originally part of English.

The Norman invasion of England in 1066 brought a massive amount of French and Latin vocabulary into the English language, contributing to what we now call Old English.

Old English, the language of Beowulf, is part of the Germanic language family, first brought to the British Isles by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in the 5th and 6th centuries.

Viking invaders in the 8th to 11th centuries added more borrowings from Old Norse into the English language.

Comparative linguistics can help trace the language's evolution by focusing on grammatical structure, patterns of sound changes, and core vocabulary.

After the 6th century, German words starting with 'p' systematically shifted to a 'pf' sound in English, while their Old English counterparts kept the 'p' unchanged.

Words in Swedish that have 'sk' sounds developed an 'sh' sound in English, showing the influence of different linguistic influences over time.

English, Swedish, German, and many other languages descended from their own common ancestor known as Proto-Germanic, spoken around 500 BCE.

Proto-Indo-European, the reconstructed ancestor of the Indo-European family, includes nearly all languages historically spoken in Europe and parts of Asia.

English, Hindi, Persian, and the Celtic languages share some similarities, all descending from Proto-Indo-European.

The systematic similarities or correspondences between related words in different Indo-European branches can be found by comparing their grammatical structures and vocabulary.

English and Latin differ in the pronunciation of certain letters at the start of words, such as 't' vs. 'd', and 'f' vs. 'p'.

Proto-Indo-European itself descended from an even more ancient language, but historical and archeological evidence only allows us to trace it back to Proto-Indo-European.

The vast number of people around the world speaking languages shaped by 6000 years of history highlights the incredible impact of language evolution.

Transcripts

When we talk about English, we often think of it as a single language

but what do the dialects spoken in dozens of countries around the world

have in common with each other,

or with the writings of Chaucer?

And how are any of them related to the strange words in Beowulf?

The answer is that like most languages,

English has evolved through generations of speakers,

undergoing major changes over time.

By undoing these changes,

we can trace the language from the present day

back to its ancient roots.

While modern English shares many similar words

with Latin-derived romance languages,

like French and Spanish,

most of those words were not originally part of it.

Instead, they started coming into the language

with the Norman invasion of England in 1066.

When the French-speaking Normans conquered England

and became its ruling class,

they brought their speech with them,

adding a massive amount of French and Latin vocabulary

to the English language previously spoken there.

Today, we call that language Old English.

This is the language of Beowulf.

It probably doesn't look very familiar,

but it might be more recognizable if you know some German.

That's because Old English belongs to the Germanic language family,

first brought to the British Isles in the 5th and 6th centuries

by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.

The Germanic dialects they spoke would become known as Anglo-Saxon.

Viking invaders in the 8th to 11th centuries

added more borrowings from Old Norse into the mix.

It may be hard to see the roots of modern English

underneath all the words borrowed

from French, Latin, Old Norse and other languages.

But comparative linguistics can help us by focusing on grammatical structure,

patterns of sound changes,

and certain core vocabulary.

For example, after the 6th century,

German words starting with "p," systematically shifted to a "pf" sound

while their Old English counterparts kept the "p" unchanged.

In another split, words that have "sk" sounds in Swedish

developed an "sh" sound in English.

There are still some English words with "sk,"

like "skirt," and "skull,"

but they're direct borrowings from Old Norse

that came after the "sk" to "sh" shift.

These examples show us

that just as the various Romance languages descended from Latin,

English, Swedish, German, and many other languages

descended from their own common ancestor known as Proto-Germanic

spoken around 500 B.C.E.

Because this historical language was never written down,

we can only reconstruct it by comparing its descendants,

which is possible thanks to the consistency of the changes.

We can even use the same process to go back one step further,

and trace the origins of Proto-Germanic to a language called Proto-Indo-European,

spoken about 6000 years ago

on the Pontic steppe in modern day Ukraine and Russia.

This is the reconstructed ancestor of the Indo-European family

that includes nearly all languages historically spoken in Europe,

as well as large parts of Southern and Western Asia.

And though it requires a bit more work,

we can find the same systematic similarities, or correspondences,

between related words in different Indo-European branches.

Comparing English with Latin,

we see that English has "t" where Latin has "d",

and "f" where latin has "p" at the start of words.

Some of English's more distant relatives include Hindi, Persian

and the Celtic languages it displaced in what is now Britain.

Proto-Indo-European itself descended from an even more ancient language,

but unfortunately, this is as far back as historical and archeological evidence

will allow us to go.

Many mysteries remain just out of reach,

such as whether there might be a link between Indo-European

and other major language families,

and the nature of the languages spoken in Europe prior to its arrival.

But the amazing fact remains that nearly 3 billion people around the world,

many of whom cannot understand each other,

are nevertheless speaking the same words shaped by 6000 years of history.