Latin and Its Influence on English Language

Latin is one of the most ancient languages and even				sources of
now it is widely used almost in various fields such as:				Middle English vocabulary are still apparent today:
medicine, learning, science, technology, etc.				word pairs such as
Latin has been influencing English throughout its				example/exemplary and machine (sh)/machinate (k)
history. Its				show the differences
authority on English was profound as the Roman				between words with Norman and Latin roots. This
army and merchants gave				period is the first
new names to local objects such as: pise 'pea', catte				time that untranslated Latin words are introduced
'cat', cetel				wholesale, in both
'kettle', candel 'candle' and a numerous number of				prose (Trevisa's translation of De Proprietatibus
other common words.				Rerum) and poetry
The influence of Latin on Old English was profound				(Dunbar et al.). As one Latin-English translator
because Latin was				complained in the
considered the language of a highly developed				early 1400s, 'There is many words in Latin that we
civilization. For				have no proper
several hundred years, while the Germanic Tribe				English accordance therto.'2 Almost all of these
who became the English				aureate terms passed
were still occupying their home land, they had				into general use only after being reintroduced.
various relations with				Others still current
the Romans through which they acquired a				were from Wycliffe's Bible, and gained currency
considerable number of Latin				through constant use.The Modern PeriodThe Modern
words. Not only did Latin influence the vocabulary of				Period begins with the advent of Modern English,
the English				usually
language, but its syntactic style had an impact on				dated to 1500.3 By the time of Thomas Eliot, the
the English of the				classical languages
16th century. Marcus Tullius Cicero work was				were entering English mostly as compounds, either
particularly imitated, as				with English or
there was a search for an oratorical contrast and				previously-assimilated words, or with other classical
balance.Latin's contribution to modern English has not				roots. An
been more than just				incomplete list of widely used classical roots includes
derivatives. The concept of grammar also came				-ation, -ana,
from the artificial				-ite, -ism, ex-, co-, -ist, and de-, while scientific
structure of Classical Latin which can be defined as				English uses
the Latin used				many more specialized ones : mille-, matri-, menti-,
for poetry, oratory, and by the upper classes. Early				and reticul-,
English had no				though these often come ultimately from the
grammar, no rules. Latin provided an example of				Greek.Latin roots are also apparent in commercial
excellent grammatical				names, especially of
structure and an oratory contrast that English				high-tech companies (Sun Microsystems, from the
eventually adopted.Latin has probably impacted legal				Greek micro, as in the
English the most, as it shares with				Late Latin microcosms), but also in many from the
science a concern for precision. The language used in				early days of this
the legal system				century (Bovril, from the Latin bovis)4. Classically
is simple, universal and rhetoric. The word have				derived names
made the statements				seem to give credence to claims to knowledge and
to be phrased in such a way that we can see its				capability5.Assimilation of Latin words into
applicability yet				EnglishHaving treated when, how, and why Latin
specific enough individual circumstances. The law has				words are used in English, the
to remain				next question is "how have these Latin words
constant so the language has to be precise enough				assimilated into
so cases will be				English?" English words like harp, cousin, chime,
treated consistently and fairly. This is the reason				chesnut, prove, and
why it has adopted				truck certainly don't advertise their Latin roots (Late
such a complex grammatical structure.Words from				Latin harpa,
Latin roots have also entered Modern English through				Latin consobrinus, Latin cymbalum, Latin castanea,
the				Latin probus, and
modern Romance languages, especially French and				the Latin trochaicus, respectively)11. Yet, linguists and
Italian.				etymologists
English-speakers assimilate a variety of foreign				can somehow trace the history and forms of English
words. They dropped				words, and
endings without much thought. As a result, we now				recognize patterns in the changes they
retain foreign				undergo.Other patterns have been recognized that
characters like the French c, and the German B.The				not only reveal an English
English language has drawn from Latin mainly in its				word's source, but can also help date its adoption.
vocabulary,				The two most
but also in its grammar. These loans are grouped, by				important of these were palatal diphthongization, in
time and				which some vowels
substance, into four periods -- the Zero, First,				preceded by palatal consonants were changed to
Second, Third, and				diphthongs, and the
Modern. Each of these has distinctive characteristics,				i-umlaut (or i-mutation), in which the value of some
both of the				accented vowels
Latin words adopted and the process of assimilation				was changed. The other prominent area of change
undergone. Latin				in adopted words was
words have also been adopted to English through				in their accenting, which sometimes led to more
Modern French and				vowel mutations. These
Modern Italian (grouped under the Modern Period)				changes all took place in English, so their presence
and Norman French				can tell us only
(the Third Period).The Zero PeriodIt includes all				by when a word must have been adopted; other
English words whose etymology traces back				changes can tell us
to Germanic tribes in contact with Romans on the				before what time a word must have been used in
continent. These are				English. The most
all short words, easily adaptable to the inflections of				important of these was in the Latin itself, and is the
early Germanic				change that
languages. The tribes' dealings with the Romans				took place when a word was simplified by speakers
were centered in				of Vulgar Latin13.
military matters, cooking, trade, and commerce,				Others were changes in the forms adopted by
especially with wine				other Germanic languages,
merchants. Words current in Modern English with				but these are often only speculation.The other
recognizable forms				major change words underwent after adoption was
include camp (L campus), kettle (OE cytel, L catillus,				simplification, either dropping a case ending (Latin
catinus), cheap				cornu -- English
(OE ceap), and wine (OE win, L vinum).The First				horn14) or dropping syllables. Syllables were especially
PeriodThis period includes words borrowed during				likely to be
Julius Caesar's English				lost from words of the Zero Period (learned by
adventures (55 BC) and the Roman Conquest				continental Germanic
(43-449 AD), but almost none				tribes), who found it hard to decline even shortened
of these1 survived the Teutonic and Norman				words from Vulgar
invasions. In fact, most				Latin in their heavily-inflected Old High and Low
Celtic words in Modern English either were borrowed				Germans.Latin's Impact on English GrammarLatin's
recently (slogan,				contribution to modern English has not been based
shillelagh) or continued as place names (Kent, Devon,				solely on
Cumberland). The				derivatives. The very ideas of grammar also came
most interesting Latin-Celtic-Old English path is that				from the artificial
of -chester,				structure of Classical Latin (the Latin used for
with its variants -cester and -caster, as found in				poetry, oratory, and
Manchester,				by the upper classes). Early English was in no way an
Gloucester, and Lancaster. In Celtic, it is ceaster,				artificial or
from the Latin				learned language, and had no grammar, no rules,
castra (encampment).The Second PeriodThis period,				nothing but
dating from Augustine's mission of 597, is divided				conflicting precedent15 in everything: spelling, word
into two main sub-periods, the Early and the				order,
Benedictine. The Early				declension, and conjugation.In this structural vacuum,
Second Period includes words taken by the English				those who wanted order were forced to
to describe their				create it, which they did by imposing classical
new religion (mass, pope; from the Old English				grammar on the
maesse, papa; and the				language16. These early grammarians are the source
Latin missa, papa), but also household words (cap,				of the stigma on
plant; from the Old				ending a phrase with a preposition, of the choice we
English caeppa, plante; and the Latin cappa, planta)				have today
and those				between who/which (identified with the Latin qui)
relating to education (Latin and school; from the Old				and that as a
English scol;				relative pronoun17, and with the absolute participle,
and the Latin Latinus, schola). The amount and				whose first use
miscellany of the				in English was direct translation from the Latin. While
borrowings show the extent of Christianity's				the last is a
immediate impact on				benefit, the first two lead to unnaturally worded
seventh-century Britain. In this part of the Second				phrases, and have no
Period, direct				justification other than classical grammar.Latin's
translation of Latin terms is characteristic. Thus, the				Overall ImpactLatin is so large a part of English that,
Late Latin				even if we wanted to, we
trinitas (three) is the Old English prines (literally,				could not purge ourselves of even one tenth of our
three-ness),				words derived from
and the Late Latin resurrectio (resurrection) is the				it. Even our grammar, which has been influenced less
Old English				than our
aerist, from arisan (to arise).The Third PeriodThe				vocabulary, would be amazingly different without its
Third Period begins in 1066 with William the				Latin base. But,
Conqueror. With the				is all that we have received from Latin useful?Our
Norman invasion came their language, Norman				grammar has been turned on its head by classical
French, which was related				scholars, and our
more closely to Latin than was English. Because of				vocabulary does not need the amount of words
this closeness,				that it has. If one idea
words adopted from French (usually of a more				has just one word derived from each language
colliquial character) are				contributing the most to
considered along with those drawn from Latin itself				Modern English (Greek, Latin, Saxon (Germanic), and
(often more				Norman French), we
learned, and first found in written language). The dual				would still have useless synonyms.

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Latin and Its Influence on English Language

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