History of English language

By AC Baugh

English by Rohit
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Chapter 1. The History of the English Language as a Cultural Subject.

This chapter discusses the importance of studying the

history of the English language as a cultural subject. It
emphasizes that language is a vital tool for
communication, governance, and cultural transmission.
While not everyone needs to be a linguist, a well-
rounded education should include some knowledge of
one's language, its global context, vocabulary sources,
and its various forms. The history of English reflects the
diverse cultures that have influenced it over the past
1,500 years, with political, economic, and social forces
playing a significant role in shaping the language. The
book's purpose is to make the history of English
accessible to all, highlighting both its cultural relevance
and the scientific principles of linguistic evolution.

English by Rohit
 Chapter 2. Influences at Work on Language.
This chapter highlights how the English language has evolved over many centuries, reflecting
the profound impact of political and social events on the English people and their language.
Here's a summary:

The English language has developed over centuries, and its evolution is closely tied to historical
events. For example:
1. The Roman Christianization of Britain in 597 introduced Latin influences and expanded
English vocabulary.
2. Scandinavian invasions resulted in a blend of languages and cultures.
3. The Norman Conquest led to English being primarily used by lower classes, while the nobles
and their associates used French.
4. When English regained prominence, it had undergone significant changes in form and
vocabulary.
5. Events like the Hundred Years' War, the rise of the middle class, the Renaissance, maritime
expansion, the British Empire's growth, and developments in commerce, industry, science, and
literature all contributed to the evolution of the language.
6. The reference to regional varieties like "Indian English," "Caribbean English," and "West
African English" illustrates that English's history is not limited to the British Isles and North
America but is an international history shaped by diverse societies with unique needs.

This chapter highlights how the English language is not static but adapts and enriches itself as
it interacts with different cultures and historical contexts.

English by Rohit
3. Growth and Decay.
This chapter discusses the concept of growth and decay in languages, focusing
on the evolution of the English language.
Languages, including English, undergo continuous change and development,
much like living organisms. When a language stops changing, it is considered
"dead," like Classical Latin, which hasn't evolved for nearly 2,000 years. English,
however, remains a living language, constantly evolving. The most noticeable
changes occur in vocabulary, with old words disappearing, new ones emerging,
and shifts in word meanings. Shakespeare's writings illustrate how meanings have
evolved over time.

Pronunciation also changes gradually, especially in vowel sounds. For instance,

"stān" became "stone" and "cū" became "cow." Many changes follow regular
patterns known as "sound laws." Grammar forms can change due to phonetic
shifts or a desire for consistency. The passage mentions "analogy," where people
adapt words based on similar patterns, affecting both form and meaning. The text
emphasizes the ongoing influences that shape languages, making English from a
thousand years ago incomprehensible to modern speakers.

In summary, the chapter highlights how languages, including English, experience

constant growth and change in vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar, and it
explores the factors that drive these linguistic transformations over time.

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Chapter 4. The Importance of a Language.

- Languages don't become important solely because of their internal

advantages.
- A language's importance is shaped by political, economic,
technological, and military events.
- The language of a powerful nation gains significance due to its strength
in these areas.
- Arts and sciences expressed in that language benefit from its prestige.
- Languages can overcome deficits by borrowing words from others.
- Any language could become important if external conditions favor it.
- English, French, German, and Spanish are important because of their
historical influence.
- Sometimes a language remains important due to its cultural history,
even if it's no longer politically or commercially dominant.

This chapter explains how languages gain importance and why certain
languages are widely studied and spoken around the world.

English by Rohit
 5. The Importance of English.
- English is one of the most important languages globally, with many
speakers and international uses.
- While it's significant, it's not the most widely spoken native
language; Chinese holds that distinction.
- Other European languages like Spanish, Portuguese, Russian,
German, and French also have many speakers.
- Languages can be crucial as lingua franca in regions where diverse
populations need to communicate.
- English's ascendancy is due to its practical applications, despite
not always being the most loved language.
- Japanese, despite Japan's economic and technical dominance,
hasn't achieved the international status of English or French, mainly
due to historical factors like isolation.

This passage discusses the importance of languages, particularly

English, in global communication, and how historical and practical
factors influence their status.

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Chapter 6. The Future of the English Language.
1. **Population Growth and Language Impact:**
- English is a globally important language due to its widespread use.
- The growth of a language is tied to population trends.
- Many less developed countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America have
seen reduced mortality rates but still have high birth rates, leading to rapid
population growth.
- By 2050, the less developed countries are expected to have a
population of 8.2 billion, while the more developed countries will remain at
1.2 billion.

2. **Population Distribution:**
- The United States will be the only developed country among the world's
twenty most populous nations by 2050.
- India is projected to become the world's most populous nation, leading
to increased use of Hindi and Bengali.
- Native English speakers are mostly in developed countries, which will
make up a shrinking proportion of the world's population.

English by Rohit
Chapter 6. The Future of the English Language.
3. **English as a Global Language:**
- English's future doesn't rely solely on native speakers; it's widely used as a second or foreign
language.
- An estimated 350 to 400 million people speak English as a second language with near-native fluency.
- When including those who can use English effectively as a foreign language, the total number of
speakers ranges from one to one and a half billion.
- Some developing countries, like India, Nigeria, and the Philippines, have English as an official
language.
- English is used in many developing countries due to superior communication infrastructure and the
availability of textbooks and publications.

4. **Complex Language Dynamics:**

- Language dynamics are influenced by various factors, making it challenging to make general
statements or projections.
- English, German, and Spanish are expected to benefit from different developments.
- The breakup of the Soviet Union and the unification of Western Europe are affecting the fortunes of
Russian and German.
- Spanish and Portuguese are likely to grow due to the increasing population of Latin America.
- English's growth will mainly occur as a second language worldwide.
- Pidgin and creole varieties of English may become more widespread in regions where English is not a
first language.

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Chapter 7. English as a World Language.
1. **Attempts at Universal Languages:**
- Between 1880 and 1907, there were 53 proposed universal languages to serve as
international communication tools.
- Volapük gained temporary popularity with nearly a million adherents in 1889, but
it's now forgotten.
- Esperanto experienced a similar surge in popularity but is now sustained by local
groups.

2. **Challenges of Artificial Languages:**

- Artificial languages might be useful for business and travel but haven't been
widely adopted for political, historical, scientific, or literary purposes.
- Governments and educational institutions' support is essential for the success of
an international language.

3. **Emotional Attachments to Languages:**

- Emotions and cultural identity often oppose the establishment of artificial or
foreign languages for international communication.
- English, French, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic are official languages of
the United Nations, and none is likely to dominate over the others.
- Historical language prominence can shift over time, influenced by economic and
cultural factors.

English by Rohit
Chapter 7. English as a World Language.

4. **English as a Global Language:**

- English is widely used as a second or foreign language, estimated
to have 350-400 million near-native speakers.
- Including those who can use English for communication, the total
number of English speakers is between one and one and a half
billion.
- English is used officially in many developing countries alongside
local languages.
- English's future dominance will depend on economic and cultural
forces, not explicit legislation.

5. **Changing Territorial Influence:**

- Since World War II, English's official status in former British
colonies has reduced, but its importance and number of speakers
have grown.
- The use of English varies based on regional history and
government policies.
- The question is not replacing native languages but using English
for international communication.

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Chapter 7. English as a World Language.
6. **Mixed Impact of English Dominance:**
- The success of English brings challenges, including the decline of other
languages and issues related to monolingualism.
- In fields like information technology, English is dominant, but its future
role in the global system is uncertain.
- Online shoppers prefer their own languages, affecting the dominance of
English-language sites.

7. **Language and the Internet:**

- The growth of the Internet extended English as a world language.
- English was the dominant language of the Internet in 2000, with many
Internet hosts in the United States.
- Language barriers and the demand for English instruction online were
challenges.
- The future role of English on the Internet is unpredictable due to rapid
changes in technology and preferences.

This chapter discusses the challenges and complexities surrounding the

establishment of international languages and the dominance of English in
various contexts.

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Chapter 8. Assets and Liabilities.

- English is widely used internationally, but learning it

can be easier or harder for people based on their
native language.
- The similarity between a person's native language
and English affects how easy it is to learn English.
- Measuring the complexity of a language is not
straightforward for linguists.
- Simplifying some aspects of a language, like
reducing inflections, doesn't necessarily make it
easier overall to learn.
- English's global prominence is due to historical,
political, economic, and cultural factors, not its
linguistic features.

In essence, the ease of learning English depends on

your native language, and the language's complexity
isn't the main reason for its global importance.

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Chapter 9. Cosmopolitan Vocabulary.

- English has a big and diverse vocabulary.

- It's part of the Germanic language group, like
German and Dutch, so it shares some grammar
and words with them.
- More than half of its words come from Latin,
often through French or other Romance
languages like Italian and Spanish.
- English also borrowed words from many other
languages, like Native American, Dutch, Italian,
Spanish, Greek, Russian, Persian, and more.
- English has a talent for making these borrowed
words fit right in, so they don't feel foreign.
- Learning English vocabulary is often easier
when words are similar to those in your native
language, which is especially helpful for second
language learners.

English by Rohit