The Scandinavian influence on the English language

Term Paper , 2005 , 16 Pages , Grade: 71 von 80

English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics

In the history of English, the language came into contact with different speech communities. Influences of Celtic, Latin, Scandinavian and French left their mark from the beginning in Anglo-Saxon times onwards, and the colonial expansion of the British Empire in the last three centuries resulted in the contact with even more speech communities.

Through these language contacts, English changed a lot – it showed the tendency to incorporate foreign influences, especially lexical ones, more likely in the first place; its grammar changed from being and analytic one towards being synthetic; and in terms of the lexicon, it changed from being a Germanic to a partly Romanic influenced language. In this essay, I want to examine the influence of the Scandinavian language on English and to what extent it was responsible for the general changes mentioned above. 45 per cent of the commoner words and 25 per cent of the general lexis1 in the present day English lexicon are a result of the language contact between Old English and Old Norse during the period of Scandinavian invasions and settlement in the eighth and ninth century – but the lexical influences are only one result of the language contact and I will try to show the other effects the Scandinavian influence had on English as well. Abbreviations

The Abbreviations I will use in this paper are “EME” for Early Middle English, “ModE” for Modern English, “ON” for Old Norse, “OE” for Old English and “PDE” for Present Day English.

Table of Contents

• 0 Introduction
• 1 Historical background
• 2 The general influences
• 3 Specific influences
  • 3.1 Place names
  • 3.2 Borrowing
  • 3.3 The loss of inflections
  • 3.4 The influence on closed class words
• 4 Conclusion

Objectives and Key Themes

This essay aims to examine the impact of the Scandinavian language on English, specifically investigating its role in the linguistic changes that occurred during this period. The essay explores the extent to which Scandinavian influence contributed to the incorporation of foreign elements into English, the shift from an analytic to a synthetic grammar, and the transformation of the lexicon from primarily Germanic to partly Romanic.

• The historical context of Scandinavian invasions and settlements in England.
• The impact of Scandinavian influence on English vocabulary and grammar.
• The role of Scandinavian influence in shaping the development of English as a language.
• The specific examples of Scandinavian influence on place names, borrowing, inflections, and closed class words.
• The cultural and societal interactions between the Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians, particularly in the Danelaw.

Chapter Summaries

• Introduction: The essay introduces the topic of Scandinavian influence on English, highlighting the significant role of language contact in shaping English's evolution. It emphasizes the impact of Scandinavian influence on vocabulary, grammar, and the transition of English from a Germanic to a partly Romanic language.
• Historical background: This chapter discusses the historical context of the Scandinavian invasions and settlements in England, tracing their origins and outlining the major periods of Viking activity. It focuses on the impact of the Viking Age, the establishment of the Danelaw, and the interactions between the Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians.
• The general influences: This chapter examines the general influence of Scandinavian on the English language, analyzing how the language contact contributed to changes in vocabulary, grammar, and overall language structure.
• Specific influences: This chapter delves into the specific examples of Scandinavian influence on English, including the adoption of place names, borrowing of vocabulary, the loss of inflections, and the influence on closed class words.

Keywords

The primary keywords and focus topics of the essay include Scandinavian influence, Old Norse, Old English, Early Middle English, vocabulary, grammar, inflections, closed class words, place names, borrowing, Danelaw, Viking Age, Anglo-Saxon, and language contact. These terms encompass the core concepts and themes explored within the study of the impact of Scandinavian influence on the English language.

• College: University of Manchester (School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures)
• Course: Introduction to Middle English Language
• Grade: 71 von 80
• Author: Johannes Huhmann (Author)
• Publication Year: 2005
• Pages: 16
• Catalog Number: V44813
• ISBN (eBook): 9783638423373
• ISBN (Book): 9783638902380
• Language: English
• Tags: Scandinavian, English, Introduction, Middle, English, Language