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The History of English

The History of English. George Mewborn Spring Creek High School.

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The History of English

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  1. The History of English George Mewborn Spring Creek High School

  2. The Indo-European family of languages represents several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is composed of 449 languages and dialects, 219 of which belong to the Indo-Aryan sub-branch. The languages of the Indo-European group are spoken by approximately three billion native speakers, the largest number of the recognized families of languages. The Sino-Tibetan family has the second-largest number of speakers. The family tree is divided into two parts: Centum languages, which are the western European languages Satem languages, which are the eastern European and Asian languages. The History of EnglishIndo-European Family of Languages

  3. Dispersion of Indo-European Languages Countries with a majority of speakers of IE languages       Countries with an IE minority language with official status

  4. English is an Indo-European language of the Germanic (red) branch that has evolved over the past fifteen hundred years primarily through three somewhat distinct periods: Old English Middle English Modern English Evolution of the English Language

  5. The History of EnglishTimeline: Pre-English Period (before 600 CE) ca. 3000 BCE Proto-Indo-European spoken in Baltic area ca. 1000 BCE Branches of Indo-European become distinct Celtic becomes most widespread branch in Europe—Spain, France, Germany, and England 43 BCE Roman colony of “Britannia” established ca. 410 CE Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Frisians) arrive in England and settle Celtic tribes pushed to remote areas of Britain— Ireland, Scotland, Wales 600 CE Germanic “English” distinct from continental Germanic languages

  6. The History of EnglishTimeline: Old English Period (ca. 600-1100) 600-800 Rise of English political supremacy in Northumbria, Mercia, and Wessex ca. 600 Christianity introduced in England by St. Augustine, missionary from Rome Irish missionaries such as St. Patrick spread Celtic form of Christianity ca. 700-1000Beowulf written in Old English 793 Viking incursions begin, subjugating Northumbria and East Anglia and Mercia 871 Vikings move against Wessex Alfred becomes king and begins to build a navy to fight the invaders 878Alfred the Great defeats Danes at battle of Edington and begins restoration of Anglo- Saxon power

  7. The History of EnglishGermanic Old English Old English is derived from Anglo-Saxon, a Germanic dialect. The Anglo-Saxon roots can be seen in the similarity of numbers in English and German: seven/sieben eight/acht nine/neunten/zehn. Pronouns are also cognate: I/ichthou/you/Du we/wirshe/sie. Syntax is also similar in English and German: I love you/Ich liebe dich First page of the Beowulf manuscript, Cotton Vitellius A.xv (British Museum).

  8. The History of EnglishTimeline: Old English Period (ca. 600-1100) 900-1000 Anglo-Saxons and Danes continue to mix peacefully, becoming indistinguishable 1014 Danish prince Canute crowned king of England after weak Anglo-Saxon leadership permits ascendancy of Viking invaders 1050s Canute’s sons fight over kingdom and die without issue; throne passes to Edward, the rightful Anglo- Saxon heir who has been raised in exile in Normandy 1066 Edward dies childless, and throne passes to Saxon nobleman Harold Godwinson William “the Conqueror” of Normandy defeats Harold at battle of Hastings and claims English throne

  9. The History of EnglishThe Norman Conquest When the Normans conquered England in 1066, the new ruling class spoke Anglo-Norman, while the peasants spoke vernacular English and native Celtic languages. This led to many paired words of French and English origin: beef/boeuf cow/Kuh veal/veau calf/Kalb mutton/mouton sheep/Schafe pork/porc swine/Schwein poultry/poulet chicken/Huhnchen The wealthy meat-eating ruling class created a language of the table, castle, and court, while the poor peasants spoke the language of the barnyard. Detail from the Bayeux Tapestry showing William of Normandy with other nobles, c. 1070. The tapestry was commissioned to record William’s conquest of England..

  10. The History of EnglishThe Two Vocabularies of English Eventually, English became a language of two vocabu- laries, one the cultivated words of Latin and French and one the “common” lan- gauge of German: expectorate spit masticate chew flatulate fart Even place names reflect these two languages, evidenced by modern place names in North Carolina that mean the same thing: Greenville Greensboro [both named for Gen. Nathanael Greene] Illustration of a medieval peasant woman milking a cow.

  11. The History of EnglishTimeline: Middle English Period (ca. 1100-1500) 1066-1075 English becomes language of lower classes; Norman French becomes language of the court and propertied classes 1086 Creation of the Domesday Book, a survey and census of William’s English conquest ca. 1300 Nobility begin to educate children in English as they reclaim English heritage 1362 English becomes official language of the law courts ca. 1380Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales and John Wycliffe's Bible written in Middle English London dialect begins to be recognized as the standard for all England 1474 William Caxton publishes the first printed book in England; spelling begins to be standardized

  12. The History of EnglishRise of Vernacular Languages The movement of people and goods and the subsequent exchange of ideas, as well as increased nationalism during the late Middle Ages gave vernacular languages greater importance in Europe. In Italy, Boccaccio’s Decameron and Dante’s La Divina Commedia were written not in Latin but in the native Tuscan dialect of central Italy. Epic romances such as El Cid, Chanson de Roland, Morte d’Arthur, and Nibelungenlied spur writing in vernacular languages and encourage Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Geoffrey Chaucer pictured as a pilgrim, from the Ellesmere manuscript.

  13. The History of EnglishTimeline: Modern English Period (1500-Present) 1526 Publication of William Tyndale’s New Testament 1535 Publication of Myles Coverdale’s complete English Bible, Old and New Testaments 1611Publication of the Authorized Bible (King James) William Shakespeare’s last play, The Tempest, is written and produced 1623Publication of the First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays by his friends 1700s Classical period of English literature features elaborate syntax and vocabulary, borrowing of Greek and Latin words and roots 1600-1900 British imperialism brings languages around the world into the English sphere and spawns new dialects of English in British colonies

  14. The History of EnglishThe Authorized Bible of King James I Despite prohibitions against translating the Latin Bible into vernacular languages, followers of John Wycliffe produced the first complete English translation of the Christian scriptures c. 1409. In 1525, William Tyndale, a contemporary of Martin Luther, undertook a new translation of the New Testament, the first printed Bible in English. Edited and adapted by Myles Coverdale, this work became the basis for Henry VIII’s Great Bible. In 1604, newly crowned James I authorized a new translation of the Bible by 47 scholars to “correct” earlier errors and to help in consolidating his power as king and “Defender of the Faith.” Title page from the Authorized Version of the Bible, 1611.

  15. The History of EnglishShakespeare’s Modern English The 1623 publication of 36 of William Shakespeare’s plays produced a volume equally important as the Authorized Bible in disseminating “Modern English” worldwide. As British explorers and colonists spread from the Americas to India, the plays of Shakespeare and the King James Bible went with them and taught them how to speak and write the constantly evolving English language. FF: “All that glisters is not gold.” “Off with his head!” KJB: “Cast thy bread upon the waters.” “Seek and ye shall find.” The title page from the 1623 FirstFolio of Shakespeare’s plays.

  16. The History of EnglishTimeline: Modern English Period (1500-Present) 1800s Discovery of the Indo-European language family Recognition that all languages are fundamentally the same in nature, none “primitive” or “advanced” 1800-1900 Industrial and Scientific Revolutions; development of technical vocabularies English accepted as a “world” language of business and technology 1900-Present Communications revolution brings about changes in language usage Many obscure languages die out as “world” languages dominate in business and technology English becomes the “lingua franca” [accepted or common language] as the most widely studied second language

  17. The History of EnglishRevolutionary Language The scientific revolution begin-ning in the 16th century and the industrial revolution of the 19th century required new words in English to describe discoveries, articulate ideas, and record data: adjectives: heliocentric, evolutionary nouns: computer, quark verbs: vaccinate, geocache Today, the jargon of science, tech-nology, industry, and business shapes English more than ever before. The 1880 “Caligraph” and other early typewriters revolutionized communication during the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century.

  18. The History of EnglishEnglish in the 21st Century The advent of computers, email, and instant messaging precipitates new English jargon, represented below: ?4U W@ RUOTW GGP MNC2 TMI ZH 143<3 <33 Computer technology is changing the rules of language usage in surprising ways.

  19. The History of EnglishEnglish in the 21st Century An instant message exchange: ?4U Question for you. W@ What? RUOTW Are you off to work? GGP Got to go (to the restroom). MNC2 Mother Nature calls me too. TMI Too much information. ZH Sleeping hour. 143<3 I love you (I love you). <33 I love you more. Computer technology is changing the rules of language usage in surprising ways.

  20. The History of EnglishEnglish Translations One important window into the history of the English language is seen in the work of translators. Translation is the interpreting of the meaning of a text and the subsequent production of an equivalent text, called a translation, that communicates the same message in another language. The fifteen-hundred-year history of translation of religious, philosophical, historical, and literary texts into an evolving English language reveals much about the forces that have shaped English and continue to transform it for each new generation. The patron saint of translators is St. Jerome, who in the fourth century translated the Bible from Greek into the Latin Vulgate.

  21. The History of EnglishConsiderations for Translators Diction: an author’s choice of words in a writing selection Sam fixed the bucket. Sam repaired the bucket. Usage: the particular use of words in a selection; sometimes the usage is idiomatic, figurative in nature If Sam mends the bucket, his children may be rich. If Sam kicks the bucket, his children may be rich. Inflection: the subtle changes in the form of a word that do not substantively change its meaning (e.g. case, number, gender, tense, person, mood, voice) Syntax: the order and arrangement of words in phrases, clauses, and sentences Spelling: the standardized rules and patterns for writing words theatre programme theater program

  22. The History of EnglishTranslations: Diction, Usage, and Meaning Two issues in translating texts into English concern an author’s diction, or word choice, and syntax, word order. What does the word mean in English? What is a reasonable, meaningful equivalent for the original word? In what order should words be arranged? German Er heißt Sam.English He is named Sam. French Il s'appelle Sam.English He himself calls [calls himself] Sam. Best translation He is called Sam. Changing usage is also a problem for the translator, as seen below: Cleaning fluids is dangerous. [the procedure] Cleaning fluids are dangerous. [the chemicals]

  23. The History of EnglishTranslations: Inflection, Spelling, Syntax 1611 King James: "For God so loued the world, that he gaue his only begotten Sonne: that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but haue euerlasting life.“John 3:16 1582 Rheims: "For so God loued the vvorld, that he gaue his only-begotten sonne: that euery one that beleeueth in him, perish not, but may haue life euerlasting." 1557 Geneva: "For God so loueth the world, that he hath geuen his only begotten Sonne: that none that beleue in him, should peryshe, but haue euerlasting lyfe." 1534 Tyndale: "For God so loveth the worlde, that he hath geven his only sonne, that none that beleve in him, shuld perisshe: but shuld have everlastinge lyfe." 1380 Wycliff: "for god loued so the world; that he gaf his oon bigetun sone, that eche man that bileueth in him perisch not: but haue euerlastynge liif.“ 995 Anon. MS: "God lufode middan-eard swa, dat he seade his an-cennedan sunu, dat nan ne forweorde de on hine gely ac habbe dat ece lif."

  24. The History of EnglishTranslations: Latin Fidem meam obligo vexillo Civitativm Americae Foederatarvm et Rei Pvblicae pro qva stat, vni nationi Deo dvcente non dividendae, cvm libertate et ivstitiaqve omnibvs.

  25. The History of EnglishTranslations: Latin into Modern English Fidem meam obligo Fidelity [allegiance] I obligate [pledge] vexillo Civitativm Americae Foederatarvm to the banner [flag] of the States of the American Federation et Rei Pvblicae pro qva stat, and to the ruling public for which it stands, vni nationi Deo dvcente non dividendae, one nation God under and not divided, cvm libertate et ivstitiaqve omnibvs. with liberty and justice all-inclusive. Pledge of Allegiance

  26. The History of EnglishTranslations: Latin 1  In principio creavit Devscaelvm et terram. 2  Terra avtem erat inanis et vacva et tenebrae svper faciem abyssi et spiritvs Dei ferebatvr super aqvas. 3  Dixitqve Devs fiat lvx et facta est lvx. 4  Et vidit Devs lvcem qvod esset bona et divisit lvcem ac tenebras 5 appellavitqve lvcem diem et tenebras noctem. Factvmqve est vespere et manedies vnvs. Genesis 1, Vulgate, c. 400

  27. The History of EnglishTranslations: Old English 1 On anginne gesceop Godheofenan and eorthan. 2 Seo eorthe sothlice vvaes ydel and aemtig and theostrv vvaeron ofer thaere Nivvelnisse bradnisse and Godes gast vvase geferoth ofer vvaeterv. 3 God cvvaeth tha, Gevveorthe leoht: and leoht vvearth gevvorht. 4 God geseah tha thaet hit god wwaes and he todaelde thaet leoht from tham theostrvm 5 and he thaet leoht daeg and tha theostra niht. Tha wwaes gewworthen aefen and morgen an daeg. Genesis 1, Heptateuch of Aelfric, c. 955-1020

  28. The History of EnglishTranslations: Middle English 1 In the bigynnyng God made of novyt hevene and erthe. 2 Forsothe the erthe vvas idel and voide, and derknessis vveren on the face of depthe; and the Spiryt of the Lord was borvn on the vvatris. 3 And God saide, Liyt be maad and liyt was maad. 4 And God saiy the liyt, that it vvas good, and he departide the liyt fro derknessis; 5 and he clepide the liyt, dai, and the derknessis, nyyt. And the eventid and morvvetid was maad, o daie. Genesis 1, John Wycliffe, 1384

  29. The History of EnglishTranslations: Late Middle English 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth vvas vvithovt forme and voide, and darkenesse vvas upon the deepe, and the Spirit of God moved upon ye vvaters. 3 Then God saide, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God savve the light that it vvas good, and God separated the light from the darkenes. 5 And God called the light, Day, and the darkenes, he called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1, Geneva, 1584

  30. The History of EnglishTranslations: Early Modern English 1 In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and uoid; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moued upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God diuided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the euening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1, Authorized Version, 1611

  31. The History of EnglishTranslations: Modern English 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was empty, a formless mass cloaked in darkness. And the Spirit of God was hovering over its surface. 3 Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 And God saw that it was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." Together these made up one day. Genesis 1, New Living Translation, 1996

  32. The History of EnglishProblems of Translations The preceding passage from Genesis illustrates the staying power of Old English in modern times. Of nine nouns highlighted in the Old English excerpt, only one, theostru, does not survive the Norman Conquest; it is replaced by another Old English word, deorc from which is derived darkness. Changes in spelling and in inflection may occur, but the essence of each word remains. The following passage from Matthew illustrates the problem of diction and usage in translation. Note the highlighted words and phrases and how each translation attempts to retain the essence of the original text’s meaning for successive audiences. Note also the shift back and forth from using words that are Latinate or Germanic in origin.

  33. The History of EnglishOriginal Text: Greek 9 ΠΑΤΕΡ ΗΜΩΝ Ο ΕΝ ΤΟΙΣ ΟΥΡΑΝΟΙΣ; Pater hêmôn ho en toes ouranoes; ΑΓΙΑΣΘΗΤΩ ΤΟ ΟΝΟΜΑ ΣΟΥ; hagiasthêtô to onoma sou; 10 ΕΛΘΕΤΩ Η ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΑ ΣΟΥ; elthetô hê basileia sou; ΓΕΝΗΘΗΤΩ ΤΟ ΘΕΛΗΜΑ ΣΟΥ, genêthêtô to thelêma sou, ΩΣ ΕΝ ΟΥΡΑΝΩ ΚΑΙ ΕΠΙ ΤΗΣ ΓΗΣ hôs en ouranô, kae epi tês gês. 11 ΤΟΝ ΑΡΤΟΝ ΗΜΩΝ ΤΟΝ ΕΠΙΟΥΣΙΟΝ Ton arton hêmôn ton epiousion ΔΟΣ ΗΜΙΝ ΣΗΜΕΡΟΝ; dos hêmin sêmeron;

  34. The History of EnglishOriginal Text: Greek 12 ΚΑΙ ΑΦΕΣ ΗΜΙΝ ΤΑ ΟΦΕΙΛΗΜΑΤΑ ΗΜΩΝ, kae aphes hêmin ta opheilêmata hêmôn, ΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΗΜΕΙΣ ΑΦΙΕΜΕΝ ΤΟΙΣ hôs kae hêmeis aphiemen toes ΟΦΕΙΛΕΤΑΙΣ ΗΜΩΝ opheiletaes hêmôn; 13 ΚΑΙ ΜΗ ΕΙΣΕΝΕΓΚΗΣ ΗΜΑΣ ΕΙΣ ΠΕΙΡΑΣΜΟΝ, kae mê eisenenkês hêmas eis peirasmon, ΑΛΛΑ ΡΥΣΑΙ ΗΜΑΣ ΑΠΟ ΤΟΥ ΠΟΝΗΡΟΥ. alla rhysae hêmas apo tou ponerou. ΑΜΗΝ. Amên. Matthew 6, Septuagint, c. 100

  35. The History of EnglishTranslations: Latin 9  Pater noster qvi in caelis es sanctificetvr nomen tvvm. 10  Veniat regnvm tvvm fiat volvntas tva sicvt in caelo et in terra. 11  Panem nostrvm svpersubstantialem da nobis hodie. 12  Et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicvt et nos dimisimvs debitoribvs nostris. 13  Et ne indvcas nos in temptationem sed libera nos a malo. Matthew 6, Vulgate, c. 400

  36. The History of EnglishTranslations: Old English 9 Faeder vre, thv the eart on heofonvm, si thin nama gehalgod. 10 Tobecvme thin rice; gevvvrthe thin vvilla on eorthan svva svva on heofonvm. 11 Vrne gedaeghvvamlican hlaf sele us todaeg. 12 And forgyf vs vre gyltas svva svva vve forgyfath vrvm gyltendvm. 13 And ne gelaed thv vs on costnvnge ac alys vs of yfele. Sothlice. Matthew 6, Anonymous Translation, c. 1000

  37. The History of EnglishTranslations: Middle English 9 Ovre fadir, that art in hevenes, halvvd be thi name. 10 Thi revme or kingdom come to be; be thi vville don in herthe as it is dovn in hevene. 11 Yeve to vs today ovre eche dayes bred. 12 And foryeve to vs ovre dettis that is ovre synnys as we foryeven to ovre dettovris that is to men that han synned in vs. 13 And lede vs not into temptacion but delyvere vs from evyl. Trvly. Matthew 6, John Wycliffe, 1384

  38. The History of EnglishTranslations: Early Modern English 9 Our father, which art in heauen, hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen. 11 Giue us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgiue us our debts as we forgiue our debters. 13 And lead us not into temptation but deliuer us from euill. Amen. Matthew 6, Authorized Version, 1611

  39. The History of EnglishTranslations: Modern English 9 Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven. 11 Give us our food for today, 12 and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. 13 And don't let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Amen. Matthew 6, New Living Translation, 1996

  40. The History of EnglishProblems of Translations The following short narrative from Matthew illustrates the choices translators must make in trying to be both historically accurate and textually faithful. Modern readers do not know the same world that Shakespeare knew and do not use words in the same way. For example, modern readers view boat and ship as small and large respectively; Shakespeare understood the words as close synonyms. The same is true with lake and sea or with storm and tempest. Note the highlighted words in the following passages and how they create meaning.

  41. The History of EnglishTranslations: Modern English 23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat; But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” Matthew 8, New International Version, 1973

  42. The History of EnglishTranslations: Early Modern English 23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was couered with the waues; but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him and awoke him, saying, “Love, saue us; we perish.” 26 And he saith unto them, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men maruelled, saying, “What manner of man is this, that euen the winds and the sea obey him!” Matthew 8, Authorized Version, 1611

  43. The History of EnglishTranslations: Middle English 23 And Ihesvs steyinge vp into a little ship, his disciples sveden hym. 24 And loo! A grete steryng vvas maad in the see, so that the litil ship vvas hilid vvith vvavis; bvt he slepte. 25 And his disciples camen nith to hym and raysiden hym, sayinge “Lord, save vs; vve perishen.” 26 And Ihesvs seith to hem, “VVhat ben thee of litil faith agast?” Thanne he rysynge comavndide to the wyndis and the see, and a grete pesiblenesse is maad. 27 Forsothe men vvondreden, sayinge, “What manere man is this, for the vvyndis and the see obeishen to hym?” Matthew 8, John Wycliffe, 1384

  44. The History of EnglishTranslations: Old English 23 And he astah on scip, and his leorningcnihtas Him fyligdon. 24 Tha vvearth micel styrvng gevvorthen on thaere sae, svva thaet scip vvearth ofergoten mith ythvm; vvitodlice he slep. 25 And hie genealaehton, and hie avvehton hine, thus cvvethende “Dryhten haele vs; vve moton forvveorthan.” 26 Tha cvvaeth he to heom, “To hvvy sindon ge forhte, ge lytles geleafan?” Da aras he, and bebead thaem vvinde and thaere sae; and thaer vvearth gevvorden micel smiltness. 27 Gewisslice tha men vvundroden and thvs cvvaethon, “Hvvaet is thes thaet vvindas and sae him hiersvmiath?” Matthew 8, Alfred the Great, c. 880

  45. The History of EnglishTranslations: Latin 23  Et ascendente eo in navicvla secvti svnt evm discipvli eivs. 24  Et ecce motvs magnvs factvs est in mari ita vt navicvla operiretvr fluctibvs ipse vero dormiebat. 25  Et accesservnt et svscitavervnt evm dicentes Domine salva nos perimus. 26  Et dicit eis qvid timidi estis modicae fidei tvnc svrgens imperavit ventis et mari et facta est tranqvillitas magna. 27  Porro homines mirati svnt dicentes qvalis est hic qvia et venti et mare oboedivnt ei. Matthew 8, Vulgate, c. 400

  46. The History of EnglishEtymology Etymology is the study of the roots and history of words and how their form and meaning have changed over time. In languages with a long detailed history, etymology makes use of philology, the study of how words change from culture to culture over time. Etymologists also apply the methods of comparative linguistics to reconstruct information about languages that are too old for any direct information (such as writing) to be known. By analyzing related languages with a technique known as the comparative method, linguists can make inferences about their shared parent language and its vocabulary. In this way, word roots have been found which can be traced all the way back to the origin of the Indo-European language family.

  47. The History of EnglishEtymology Etymologists apply a number of methods to study the origins of words, some of which are: • Philological research: Changes in the form and meaning of the word can be traced with the aid of older texts. • Dialectological data: The form or meaning of the word might show variation between dialects, yielding clues of earlier history. • Comparative method: By a systematic comparison of related languages, etymologists can detect which words derive from their common ancestor language and which were instead later borrowed from another language. • Semantic change: Etymologists often have to make hypotheses about changes of meaning of particular words. Such hypotheses are tested against the general knowledge of semantic shifts. Okay . . . so, where did “Okay” come from?

  48. The History of EnglishEtymology of “Okay” OkayOmega, khi [chi], Greek; Omnis korecta, Latin; Oke, Liberian; Hoakeh, Burmese; Och aye, Scottish; Oikea, Finnish; 1815 Okeh, Choctaw, “it is so”; used by Andrew Jackson and later Woodrow Wilson 1839 “OK,” Boston, Morning Herald “all correct” [spelled “orl korrekt”]; “Orl Korrec,” London, The Times 1840 OK Club, New York, from “Old Kinderhook” [Martin van Buren of Kinderhook, NY] 1865 “O-K,” Civil War crackers from Orrins-Kendall 1939 Aux quais, French, “at the quayside” [sailors’ appointments with American girls] nd “O.K.,” London, from initials of Lords Onslow and Kilbracken on bills in Parliament nd “OK No. 1,” shipbuilder’s mark on timber “Outer Keel No. 1”

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