Read Pages 7-9 of Your Mirrors and Windows Text
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The Power of Anglo-Saxon Language
Read pages 7-9 of your Mirrors and Windows text.
What similarities might a modern reader observe between Old English and Modern English?
What is the Indo-European family of language?
How are the following words related: pater, padre, vater?
What is etymology?
Did Old English borrow words from the languages listed below? Check the Yes or No column in the chart. Explain your “yes” answers in the chart.
Language Yes No Explanation Celtic
Latin
Greek
Spanish
Danish
Why did two systems of writing exist in Anglo-Saxon Britain? Which one prevailed? One challenge for a good writer is finding just the right word to express a particular idea. Dictionaries and thesauruses often list dozens of options. How do writers choose the one perfect word? Looking at its etymology might help. Like an Anglo-Saxon warrior, Old English is often more direct and concrete, and packs more of a punch. Its words are usually one or two syllables and reflect the lives of everyday people. By contrast, the Latinate words of Middle English are often more abstract, precise, and sophisticated, and are frequently three syllables or more. They often reflect the world of education and aristocracy. Richer in subtlety and layered meaning, Latinate words are best used sparingly. Use anetymology diction to write the Latinate word for the following Anglo-Saxon words.
Anglo-Saxon Words Latinate Words think ruminate, cogitate, reflect build say fight love (noun)
Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech, which he gave to rally his nation when England was close to losing World War II, offers a chance to compare and contrast the effect of Anglo-Saxon and Latinate words. Here is a brief excerpt:
[W]e shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender . . . .
Using an etymology dictionary, look up each word in Churchill’s speech and note its history. Underline the word if it comes from Old English (OE), Old German, or Old Norse (all Anglo-Saxon entries), or circle it if it originates with Middle English (ME), Latin (L), or Norman/Middle French (MF). If you are unsure of an abbreviation, consult the abbreviation key in the dictionary.
Which words are Latinates, and where does Churchill use them in his speech?
What effect does Churchill achieve by using Anglo-Saxon and Latinate words this way?