2. Points to be discussed:
The mixed character of the English
language.
Words of native origin and the role they
play in the language.
Borrowings in the English language:
classification, special types, assimilation.
3. Etymology as a
branch of
Lexicology studies
the earliest form
and meaning of the
word and its
connection with the
corresponding
words in other
languages
The English
Language
Native
words (30 %)
Borrowed
words (70%)
Mixed
character
5. Indo-European – words of roots
common to all or most Indo-European
languages
Family relations: mother, son, daughter
Parts of human body: foot, nose, lip, heart
Animals: cow, swine, goose
Plants: tree, birch, corn
Time of day: day, night
Heavenly bodies: sun, moon, star
Adjectives: red, new, sad, glad
Numerals 1-100
Personal and demonstrative pronouns
Verbs: be, stand, sit, eat, know
6. Germanic - words of roots common
to all or most Germanic languages
Parts of human body: head, hand, arm, finger, bone
Animals: bear, fox, calf
Plants: oak, fir, grass
Natural phenomena: rain, frost
Seasons of the year: winter, spring, summer
Landscape features: sea, land
Human dwellings and furniture: house, room, bench
Sea-going vessels: boat, ship
Adjectives: green, blue, grey, white, small, thick, high,
old, good
Verbs: see, hear, speak, tell, say, answer, make, give,
drink
7. English proper words have no
cognates in other languages:
Bird, boy, girl, lord, lady, woman, daisy,
always
8. Borrowing
1) process of adopting words from other
languages to express new concepts, to further
differentiate the existing concepts and to name
new objects, phenomena, etc.;
2) the result of this process (words and word
building affixes borrowed into the language)
Source of borrowing - the language from which
the word was taken
Origin of borrowing - the language the word may
be traced to
9. Why are words borrowed?
Extra-linguistic reasons: contacts of
different kinds with other nations: wars,
trade
Linguistic reasons:
1. to fill the gap in the vocabulary
2. to represent the same notion in some
new aspect
10. Classification according to the
source and period of borrowing
period source examples
I BC Latin Butter, cheese, cherry, plum,
pea, pepper, cup, kitchen, wine,
etc.
V AD Celtic Toponyms: London
VII AD Latin Priest, nun, monk, candle
11. Classification according to the
source and period of borrowing
period source examples
VIII-XI
AD
Scandina
vian
Sk-: ski, sky, skin. Husband,
window, to call, to take, to die
XI-XIV
AD
French
(Norman)
Administrative terms: state,
government
Legal terms: court, judge, justice,
crime
Military terms: army, war, soldier
Educational terms: pupil, lesson,
library
Common words: table, plate,
dinner, supper
12. Classification according to the
source and period of borrowing
period source examples
Renaiss
ance
Latin Intelligent, to create, to elect,
phenomenon, philosophy, etc.
Renaiss
ance
French
Parisian
Ballet, machine, matinee,
scene, technique, police
Different
periods
Italian
Spanish
Dutch
Russian
Piano, violin, opera, alarm,
colonel
Negro, comrade
Cook, skipper, deck
Droshky, knout, shchee, sputnik,
pryzhok
13. Specific types of borrowing
Translation loans (calques, loan
translations) - borrowing by means of
literary translating words (usually one part
after another) or word combinations
Etymological doublets - two or more
words originating from the same
etymological source, but differing in
phonetic shape and in meaning
14. Doublets come into existence in
different ways:
Native+borrowed: shirt (N) - skirt (Sc)
Borrowed, different source: senior (Lat) – sir (Fr)
Borrowed, different period: cavalry (Norm Fr) –
chivalry (Par Fr)
Borrowed, different dialects: captain (North Fr) –
chieftain (Central Fr)
From one OE word:
sceadu (OE) – sceadu (Nom Case) – shade
sceadwe (Dat C) - shadow
Shortening: history-story, fanatic – fan, defence -
fence
15. International words - words
borrowed by several languages
Names of sciences: Biology, Mathematics
Terms of art: portrait, marine
Political terms: democracy
Scientific and technological terms:
television
Sports terms: hockey
Names of fruits and foods: banana
16. Assimilation of loan words -
adjusting to the norms of the
recipient language
Phonetic adaptation (assimilation) -
adaptation of a word to the phonetic
system of the new language
Grammatical adaptation - a complete
change of the former paradigm of the
borrowed word
Semantic adaptation - adjustment to the
system of meanings of the vocabulary
