The-History-of-English-in-Ten-Minutes

【TheHistoryofEnglishinTenMinutes】Chapter1Anglo-SaxonorwhateverhappentotheJutesTheEnglishlanguagebeginswiththephrase“UpYoursCaesar!”astheRomansleaveBritainandalotofGermanictribesstartfloodingin,tribessuchastheAnglesandtheSaxons–whotogethergaveusthetermAnglo-Saxon,andtheJutes–whodidn’t.TheRomansleftsomeverystraightroadsbehind,butnotmuchoftheirLatinlanguage.TheAnglo-Saxonvocabwasmuchmoreusefulasitwasmainlywordsforsimpleeverydaythingslike“house”,“woman”,“loaf”and“werewolf”.FourofourdaysoftheweekwerenamedinhonorofAnglo-Saxongods,buttheydidn’tbotherwithSaturday,SundayandMondayastheyhadallgoneoffforalongweekend.Whiletheywereaway,ChristianmissionariesstoleinbringingwiththemleafletsaboutjumblesalesandmoreLatin.Christianitywasahitwiththelocalsandmadethemmuchhappiertotakeonfunkynewwordslike“martyr”,“bishop”and“font”.AlongcametheVikings,withtheiraction-manwordslike“drag”,“ransack”,“thrust”and“die”.Theymayhaverapedandpillagedbuttherewerealsointo“give”and“take”–twoofaround2000wordsthattheygaveEnglish,aswellasthephrase“watchoutforthatmanwiththeenormousaxe”.【TheHistoryofEnglishinTenMinutes】Chapter2TheNormanConquestorExcuseMyEnglish1066.Truetohisname,WilliamtheConqueror,invadesEngland,bringingnewconceptsfromacrossthechannelliketheFrenchlanguage,theDoomsdayBookandtheduty-freeGalois'smultipack.Frenchwasderigeurforallofficialbusiness,withwordslikejudge,jury,evidenceandjusticecominginandgivingJohnGrisham'scareerakick-start.Latinwasstillusedadnauseaminchurch,butthecommonmanspokeEnglish,abletocommunicateonlybyspeakingmoreslowlyandloudlyuntiltheothersunderstoodhim.Wordslikecow,sheepandswinecomefromtheEnglish-speakingfarmers.Whilethealacarteversionsbeef,muttonandpork-comefromtheFrench-speakingtoffs,beginningalong-runningtrendforrestaurantshavingcompletelyindecipherablemenus.Allinall,theEnglishabsorbedabout10,000newwordsfromtheNormans,buttheystillcouldn'tgrasptherulesofcheekkissing.ThebonhomieallendedwhentheEnglishnationtooktheirnewwarlikelingoofarmies,naviesandsoldiersandbegantheHundredYearsWaragainstFrance.Itactuallylasted116years,butbythatpoint,noonecouldcountanyhigherinFrenchandEnglishtookoverasthelanguageofpower.【TheHistoryofEnglishinTenMinutes】Chapter3Shakespeare,oraplaqueonbothhishousesAsthedictionarytellsusabout2,000newwordsandphraseswereinventedbyWilliamShakespeare.Hegaveushandywordslike“eyeball”,“puppy-dog”and“anchovy”andmoreshow-offywordslike“dauntless”,“besmirch”and“lacklustre”.Hecameupwiththeword“alligator”,soonafterheranoutofthethingstorhymewith“crocodile”.Andanationoftea-drinkersfinallytookhimtotheirheartswhenheinventedthe“hobnob”.Shakespeareknewthepowerofcatchphrasesaswellasbiscuits.Withouthim,wewouldnevereatour“fleshandblood”“outofhouseandhome”.We’dhavetosay“goodriddance”to“thegreen-eyedmonster”and“breakingtheice”wouldbe“asdeadasadoornail”.Ifyoutriedtogetyour“money'sworth”,you'dbegiven“shortshrift”andanyonewho“laiditonwithatrowel”couldbe“hoistwithhisownpetard”.Ofcourseit'spossibleotherpeopleusedthesewordsfirst,butthedictionarywriterslikedlookingthemupinShakespearebecausetherewasmorecross-dressingandpeoplepeckingeachother'seyesout.Shakespeare'spoetryshowedtheworldthatEnglishwasarichvibrantlanguagewithlimitlessexpressiveandemotionalpowerandhestillhadtimetoopenallthosetearoomsinStratford.【TheHistoryofEnglishinTenMinutes】Chapter4TheKingJamesBibleorlettherebelightreadingIn1611,”thepowersthatbe”“turnedtheworldupsidedown”witha“laboroflove”–anewtranslationofthebible.Ateamofscribeswiththe“wisdomofSolomon”“wenttheextramile”tomakeKingJames’stranslation“allthingstoallmen”,whetherfromtheir“heart’sdesire”“tofightthegoodfight”orjustforthe“filthylucre”.ThissexynewBiblewent“fromstrengthtostrength”,gettingto“therootofthematter”inalanguageeven“thesaltoftheearth”couldunderstand.“Thewritingwasn’tonthewall”.Itwasinhandylittlebooksandwith“fireandbrimstone”preachersreadingitineverychurch,itswordsandphrases“tookroot”“totheendsoftheearth”–wellatleasttheendsofBritain.TheKingJamesBibleisthebookthattaughtusthat“aleopardcan’tchangeitsspots”,that“abirdinthehandisworthtwointhebush”,that“awolfinsheep’sclothing”ishardertospotthanyouwouldimagine,andhowannoyingitistohave“aflyinyourointment”.Infact,justas“JonathanbegatMeribbaalandMeribbaalbegatMicah,theKingJamesBiblebegatawholeglossaryofmetaphorandmoralitythatstillshapesthewayEnglishisspokentoday.Amen.【TheHistoryofEnglishinTenMinutes】Chapter5TheEnglishofScienceorhowtospeakwithgravityBeforethe17thCentury,scientistsweren’treallyrecognized–possiblybecauselab-coatshadyettocatchon.ButsuddenlyBritainwasfullofphysicists.TherewasRobertHooke,RobertBoyle–andevensomepeoplenotcalledRobert,likeIsaacNewton.TheRoyalSocietywasformedoutoftheInvisibleCollegeaftertheyputitdownsomewhereandcouldn’tfinditagain.Atfirst,theyworkedinLatin.AftersittingthroughNewton’sstoryaboutthe“pomum”fallingtothe“terra”fromthe“arbor”fortheumpteenthtime,thebrightsparksrealizedtheyallspokeEnglishandtheycouldtransformourunderstandingoftheuniversemuchquickerbytalkingintheirownlanguage.Butsciencewasdiscoveringthingsfasterthantheycouldnamethem.Word