Flashcards on History of the English Language
History of the English Language: A Student's Guide
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History of English
30 cards
Card 1
Question: Which three tribes invaded Britain in the 5th century and formed Old English (Anglo-Saxon)?
Answer: The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes (from Denmark and Northwest Germany).
Card 2
Question: What happened to the Celtic-speaking inhabitants after the 5th-century invasions?
Answer: They were pushed to the island's fringes: Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall.
Card 3
Question: What is the etymology of the word “English”?
Answer: From Old English Englisc, derived from the Engle (the land of origin for the Angles).
Card 4
Question: How did Christianity introduce Latin influence into English and when did this begin?
Answer: Beginning in 597 AD with St. Augustine, Christianity brought many Latin words related to religious ceremonies and hierarchy, some via Greek (e.g., chu
Card 5
Question: What was the linguistic impact of Viking (Old Norse) invasions around 878 AD?
Answer: Old Norse, a Germanic language, contributed many everyday nouns and verbs (sky, egg, cake, skin, leg, window, husband, skill, anger, get, give, take,
Card 6
Question: What is Beowulf and why is it significant?
Answer: An epic poem of 3,183 lines over 1,000 years old representing the heroic age of English, noted for complex alliterative verse and kennings.
Card 7
Question: Why is 1066 a pivotal year in the history of English?
Answer: The Norman Conquest brought French-speaking nobles to power, profoundly changing the language (Middle English period).
Card 8
Question: Describe the trilingual society of medieval England after 1066.
Answer: French was used by court, administration, law, and culture; Latin for the Church and written academic works; English was the 'vulgar tongue' of the lo
Card 9
Question: Explain the 'Meat vs. Animal' vocabulary pattern from the Middle English period.
Answer: Live animals kept English names (ox, cow, calf, sheep, swine, deer) while the meats consumed used French-derived words (beef, veal, mutton, pork, baco
Card 10
Question: Give examples of French borrowings in English related to power and governance after the Norman Conquest.
Answer: crown, castle, parliament, army, duke, governor.