Terms
theoretical grammar
Theoretical grammar is a branch of linguistics that studies the underlying structure of language. It is concerned with the rules that govern how words are combined to form sentences, and how sentences are interpreted. Theoretical grammar is not concerned with the practical use of language, such as how to speak or write correctly.
What language family does English belong to?
English belongs to the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family.
What is modern English and period of time it is used?
Modern English (ME), sometimes called New English (NE)as opposed to Middle and Old English, is the form of the English language that has been spoken since the Great Vowel Shift in England, which began in the late 14th century and was completed by the 17th century.It is used from 17th century AD up to present days.
Name the dialect.
Spoken in East London.Pronunciation features include the use of rhyming slang, dropping Hs at the beginning of words, and "th" sounds replaced with "f" or "v."Often associated with working-class Londoners. It has cultural significance and has been celebrated in literature and film.
Cockney
a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence.
Preposition
Sentence
A sentence is a unit of language that expresses a complete thought.
What is the earliest form of English called? In which period of time was it used?
The earliest form of English is called Old English. It was spoken in England from the 5th to the 11th centuries.
Name 5 countries with the most native speakers of English.
United States, the United Kingdom,Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland; there are also large populations in India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Southern Africa.
What is the influence of media on dialects of English?
London is home to the BBC and other major media outlets. As a result, the London dialect is widely heard and imitated throughout the country. This has helped to promote the London dialect as the standard form of English.
Morphology
Morphology is the study of the structure of words. It is a branch of linguistics that deals with the internal structure of words and their meaningful parts.
Morpheme
A morpheme is the smallest unit of language that cannot be broken down into smaller units with meaning.
What was the Great Vowel Shift?
The Great Vowel Shift was a major change in the pronunciation of English vowels that took place in the 15th and 16th centuries. The shift involved the pronunciation of long vowels moving further forward in the mouth.
What are the morphological changes in Modern English compared to previous form (Middle English)?
"like", "same as", and "immediately" are used as conjunctions.
"The" becomes optional before certain combinations of noun phrases and proper names.
The local dialect you speak can carry social significance. It can influence how others perceive your background, education, and even social class.
Name the type of preservation of Local dialects.
Social Appearance
How many types of morphemes are there? What are they?
Free morphemes: dog, cat, run, jump, happy, sad
Bound morphemes: -s, -ed, -ing, -er, -ly
Semi-bound morphemes: Semi-bound (semi-free) morphemes are morphemes that can function in a morphemic sequence both as an affix and as a free morpheme. For example, the morpheme well and half on the one hand occur as free morphemes that coincide with the stem and the word-form in utterances like sleep well, half an hour,” on the other hand they occur as bound morphemes in words like well-known, half-eaten,
Syntax
The study of the rules for how words are combined to form sentences.
What are the three main periods of the English language?
The history of the English language is typically divided into three main periods:Middle English (1100-1500 AD),Middle English (1100-1500 AD),Modern English (1500-present)
Phonological changes
initial cluster reductions, like of /ɡn, kn/ into /n/: making homophones of gnat and nat, and not and knot.
The meet–meat merger in most dialects: making the words "meat", "threat" and "great" have three different vowels, although all three words once rhymed.
The foot–strut split: so that "cut" and "put", and "pudding" and "budding" no longer rhyme;and "putt" and "put" are no longer homophones.
The lot–cloth split: the vowel in words like "cloth" and "off" is pronounced with the vowel in "thought", as opposed to the vowel used in "lot".
Describe the Glaswegian dialect.(region, features, social appearance)
Region: Glasgow and the West of Scotland.Features: Glaswegian is known for its rapid speech, unique vocabulary, and a tendency to drop word endings. Social Appearance: It's associated with the people of Glasgow and has regional pride
What is the difference between synchronic and diachronic approaches?
The synchronic and diachronic approaches are two different ways of studying language. The synchronic approach studies language at a specific point in time, often the present. The diachronic approach studies language through different periods in history, tracing how it has changed over time.
Pragmatics
The study of the use of language in context.
What language had the most influence on English after the Norman Conquest?
The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 led to the introduction of many French words into the English language. This influence is still evident today in many words related to government, law, and the arts.
Syntactic changes
disuse of the T–V distinction (thou, ye). Contemporary Modern English usually retains only the formal second-person personal pronoun, "you" (ye), used in both formal and informal contexts.
Use of auxiliary verbs becomes mandatory in interrogative sentences.
"less", rather than "fewer", is used for countable nouns.
For English comparisons, syntactic comparison (more) is preferred to analytic comparison (-er).
Usage of the Saxon genitive ('s) has extended beyond human referents.
Spoken in Manchester
Associated with the working class
Often seen as being witty and sarcastic
Mancunian
Allomorphs
An allomorph is a variant form of a morpheme. Allomorphs are found when the same morpheme has different pronunciations or spellings depending on the context in which it appears.