Phonetic peculiarities of Germanic languages

Phonetic peculiarities of Germanic languages

Phonetic peculiarities of Germanic languages

                                               Introduction

The English language has undergone significant changes in its morphology, structure, and phonetics due to influences from other languages. One particularly influential language has been French, resulting in the incorporation of many French words into English. This paper aims to demonstrate the impact of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 on the English language, highlighting the infusion of French vocabulary and expressions.

The invasion was prompted by the Roman desire to control the valuable resources and trade routes that Britain could offer. It was also seen as an opportunity to demonstrate the power and might of the Roman Empire. The invasion resulted in a series of battles and conflicts as the Romans sought to subdue the Celtic tribes and establish their authority.

Certain languages make every effort to avoid using foreign terminology.
They accomplish this by creating new words from of local components. However, foreign words have always been used in English. Particularly susceptible to outside influences has been the English language (Serjeantson 1993: 1).[1]

Over the course of its history, English has borrowed words from various other languages. French or Latin make up the majority of the foreign words in the English language.  I go through Latin loanwords used in English throughout its history in my essay.

It is important to remember that French also had a great impact on the vocabulary of English, due to political reasons.1 Research has been made by several scholars, and there are a lot of good books that discuss foreign influence on the English language. These books are about the history of the language, and they have a chapter about lexis where foreign influence is discussed as well. What makes research difficult is that there are no written records from the Continental Period, i.e. before the migration of the Anglo-Saxons to the British Isles.

The conquest of Britain by the Romans had far-reaching implications for the island. It brought about significant changes in the social, political, and economic structure of the region, as well as the introduction of Roman culture, language, and administration. The Roman conquest of Britain ultimately paved the way for centuries of Roman rule on the island, leaving a lasting impact on its history and development.

[1] For French influence, see Blake, Norman ed.: 1992: 1066-1476, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.