Thursday, October 9th, 1997 / Class Notes, by Mark Lechman

Our discussion continued from the last class. We began with a brief overview of the major events in the English language that have been covered in class thus far:

Recap:

55 BC - Latin becomes dominant language of culture and government in Britain after Roman invasion.

400 AD - earliest record of æFUTHORCÆ, probably the first written English, done in runic style.

499 AD - Romans pull forces out, allowing the Anglo-Saxon invasion to begin - several Germanic dialects are brought in by the new settlers.

700 AD - First English literature appears bearing traces of Latin due to the influence of the Church.

800 AD - Scandinavian invasion brings new influences to English spoken in the north of Britain.

1059 AD - Norman conquest results in English being influenced by French. Latin and English still spoken as well.

We now come to the 1400Æs. The major event here is the development of the printing press by William Caxton and the impending attempts to standardize the English language.

The following is a transcription of the overhead notes displayed during this discussion, along with some other class material as well.

1204 : King John loses Normandy - son Henry III reigns until late 1200Æs

1200Æs : anti-immigrant tensions rise

after 1200Æs :

English nobility speaking French and increasingly speaking English

Borrowing of Central French words begins to rise markedly

French used in law, Parliament, public negotiations, husbandry manuals

1362 : English used in courts

1396 : French books (for travelers and business-people)

1399 : Henry IV claims the throne in English

1400Æs : Attempts to preserve French (regulations about the study or

speaking of French in monasteries and universities

òEnglish letters appear

English used in House of Lords

1500Æs : Social distinctions appear between rural and urban English

ò1576 : Social titles being used with greater caution as social distinctions

amongst peoples become less clear

1586 : Advice book gives advice on the use of ôyouö vs. ôthouö

1600Æs : Writings appear arguing for the superiority of Saxon words

Vernacular controversies ensue.

1660 : Royal Society founded - sponsors scientific inquires, studies of

language. However, proposals for English Academy fail. Reference works

begin to appear

1755 : Samuel Johnson begins work on dictionary in effort to fix or stabilize

the language

1870 : James Murray, a Scottish lexicographer and leading authority

on dialects and languages, opens a scriptorium - began working on

dictionary

1879 : Oxford expresses a desire to make their own dictionary

1928 : First edition of the Oxford English Dictionary of Words appears