The first part of the term paper presents different types of Early Modern English (EME) word-formation processes, in which the main focus is on a detailed description of inflection and derivation as well as compounds. Moreover, a comparisson between these processes and the influence of classical loanwords and loanwords from other languages is to be made, trying to answer the question: In how far did loanwords influence EME word-formation processes?
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Word-formation processes
2.1 Inflection and Derivation
2.2 Compounds
2.3 Other word-formation processes
3. Loanwords and their influence
3.1 Classical loans
3.2 Loanwords from other languages
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary objective of this paper is to examine the extent to which loanwords influenced the word-formation processes during the Early Modern English (EME) period. By contrasting internal lexical enrichment via traditional word-formation mechanisms with the influx of foreign borrowings, the research aims to demonstrate how historical events shifted the landscape of the English lexicon.
- The evolution of English vocabulary from the EME period onwards.
- Mechanisms of word formation: Inflection, derivation, and compounding.
- The impact of historical events such as the printing press and the Renaissance on lexical growth.
- The dominance of classical loanwords versus borrowings from other global languages.
- The shift in importance from internal word-formation processes to external borrowing.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Classical loans
Latin, Greek and French belong to classical loans whereas the majority of loanwords came from Latin, as this was the languages of scholarships. Moreover were Latin loanwords mostly nouns, verbs, or adjectives (McIntyre 2009: 277-78). However it is not clearly defined whether a Latin loanword is adopted directly from Latin or indirectly via the Romance language - French (Horobin 2010: 90). "For example, the verb count was borrowed from French conter in the fourteenth century, although its ultimate root is the Latin verb computare." (Horobin 2010: 90). The borrowings of classical languages and their grammatical elements had also an direct influence on the English word-formation process. Thus, derivational affixes of Greek origin like anti-, -ize, macro- , micro-, proto- or of French or Latin origin such as ante-, pre-, pro-, sub-, super-, -al, -ate, -ation, -ic, -ity, -ment; also became affixes of the English language in Early Modern times (Durkin 2014: 327). In this case not entire words have been borrowed, just prefixes or suffixes from the other language. About 120 different affixes have been introduced by loanwords. (Horobin2010: 80). Examples of other loanwords, that have been borrowed wholly from Latin are: alphabet, emphasis, gigantic, paradox and system. Instances from Greek are: agonism, drastic, hyperbole, orthodox and topic and from or via French: architect, bizarre, dialect, metaphor and syntax. During the EME period which is dated from 1500 to 1700, statistics clearly show the relation between loanwords from Latin and French and loanwords from all other sources. Thus, the classical loans from Latin and French reach, during the EME period, up to 35% and loanwords from all other sources only about 6% to 7% of all new words (Durkin 2014: 301). This proportion shows the huge influence of classical loans at that time.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of English vocabulary expansion and introduces the central research question regarding the influence of loanwords on EME word-formation.
2. Word-formation processes: This section defines key morphological concepts such as morphemes, inflection, and derivation, establishing the baseline for how English internally created new words.
2.1 Inflection and Derivation: This chapter details how root morphemes are modified via affixes to create new word forms or change grammatical classes.
2.2 Compounds: This chapter explores the combination of two or more roots to form new vocabulary items, noting the prevalence of noun-noun compounds in the EME period.
2.3 Other word-formation processes: This section discusses minor sources of lexical growth including clipping, blending, reduplication, and folk etymology.
3. Loanwords and their influence: This chapter analyzes how historical shifts, such as the printing press and colonization, led to an unprecedented influx of foreign borrowings.
3.1 Classical loans: This chapter examines the significant impact of Latin, Greek, and French on the English lexicon, including the adoption of classical affixes.
3.2 Loanwords from other languages: This chapter covers the introduction of trade-related vocabulary from languages like Dutch, Spanish, and Italian, as well as non-Indo-European influences.
4. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, concluding that during the EME period, external loanwords became more influential than internal word-formation processes.
Keywords
Early Modern English, Word-formation, Loanwords, Lexicology, Inflection, Derivation, Compounding, Etymology, Borrowing, Classical loans, Morphology, Affixation, Linguistics, Lexicon, English Renaissance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the enrichment of the English lexicon during the Early Modern English (EME) period, specifically comparing internal word-formation processes with the influence of foreign loanwords.
Which word-formation processes are discussed as the primary methods of lexical growth?
The main processes discussed are inflection, derivation, and compounding, which rely on morphemes to create new words from existing ones.
What is the central research question?
The research asks: In how far did loanwords influence EME word-formation processes?
What scientific method is utilized in this study?
The paper uses a descriptive linguistic analysis, relying on established etymological and historical-linguistic literature to categorize and quantify the impact of different word-formation techniques and borrowing patterns.
How is the main body structured?
The main body first categorizes internal word-formation mechanisms (inflection, derivation, compounding) and then shifts to analyzing external factors, specifically the influx of classical and non-classical loanwords during the EME period.
Which keywords best describe the scope of this work?
Key terms include Early Modern English, Word-formation, Loanwords, Lexicology, Morphology, and Borrowing.
How did the invention of the printing press impact the English language?
The printing press facilitated the standardization of English and enabled the widespread translation of classical texts, which in turn introduced a massive amount of Latin and Greek loanwords into the lexicon.
What role did Shakespeare play in the expansion of the English vocabulary?
Shakespeare acted as a significant agent of change by borrowing thousands of new words from foreign languages to enrich his plays, contributing substantially to the vocabulary of the era.
What is the difference between inflection and derivation in this context?
Inflection creates variants of a word without changing its word class, whereas derivation typically alters the word class to create a new lexical item.
Why are classical loans considered more influential than other loanwords?
Statistics provided in the paper indicate that during the EME period, classical loans from Latin and French accounted for up to 35% of new words, far outstripping the influence of borrowings from other global languages.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2015, In how far did Loanwords Influence the Early Modern English Word-Formation Process?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/378582
