History
What happened in 1066 and why is it significant for the development of English?
Battle of Hastings -> Normans conquered England and French became the laguage of power and upper classes
What is a lingua franca?
A lingua franca is a common language used for communication between people who have different native languages
What is coinage?
- neologisms, or adopting new words based on someone's name (inventions)
What does this mean in standard English:
Would you Adam and Eve it?
Would you believe it?
Which accent often replaces the “th” sound in think with “f”, making it sound like “fink”?
Cockney
Who was William Caxton?
He introduced the printing press in 1476
Which word-formation process is the most common one in English?
conversion and derivation
What does this mean in standard English:
I fell down the apples.
I fell down the stairs
In Australian English, what does “brekkie” mean?
breakfast
When did (Old) English become a language?
It began in the 5th century AD with the Anglo-Saxons invading the British Isles.
What is a politically correct language (PC) ?
"Politically correct" (PC) refers to language, policies, or measures intended to avoid offending or disadvantaging particular groups in society, such as those based on race, gender, or sexual orientation
almost 50 % of the English vocabulary as we know it today originaly comes from ...
Latin and French
What does this mean in standard English:
Can you use your loaf?
Can you use your head? (loaf of bread)
Which accent is known for the strong rolling “r” sound, especially in words like first or world?
Scottish
Why did the Latin words enter the English vocabulary?
- religious reasons, St. Augustine brought Christianity in 597 AD -> Latin was the language of the church
When did the endings and conjugation (skloňování) disappeared from the English language?
During 14-15th centuries
What are the main differences between formal and informal language?
informal: slang, phrasal verbs, contracted forms, idioms
Pronounce these words according to the Cockney dialect:
water
better
better /'be ə/, water /'wɔ: ə/
Which word means “yes” in some British dialects (especially Yorkshire)?
A) Aye
B) Yep
C) Eh
D) Yeah
A)
Why was Celtic linguistic (language) identity mostly pushed to the edges of Britain (Scotland, Ireland, Wales)?
Because of the Romans who kept trying to conquer the land
Where do the place-name endings "-cester" (Manchester, Lancaster) come from?
Romans (43 AD)
Why does the English spelling often not correspond to the way it is pronounced?
The Great Vowel Shift was a significant change in the pronunciation of long vowels in English that took place between the 15th and 18th centuries
.
What does this mean in standard English:
Let's 'ave a butcher's at it.
Let's have a look at it. (Butcher's hook)
Which accent is famous for the long drawn-out vowels in words like ride or time?
(Southern) American