Linguistic Developments in Early Modern English

Words borrowed from other languages. They are often adopted due to cultural exchange or the need to express new concepts.

The act of switching between different languages or dialects within a conversation.

This period in English began with the invention of the printing press and saw significant changes in language, including the standardization of spelling and grammar.

A variety of a language that has distinct features and regional differences, but is still mutually intelligible with other varieties.

English used as a common language among speakers of different native languages. It's useful for global communication.

This period saw the emergence of many regional dialects in England due to evolving vocabulary and pronunciation.

The loss of inflectional endings, such as grammatical markers on nouns and verbs, was a significant change from Old English to Middle English.

William Shakespeare's extensive use of neologisms enriched the vocabulary of Early Modern English.

The coexistence of two languages within a community, each serving different social functions.

The movement that emphasized the study and preservation of regional dialects in England.

A language that develops from a mixture of different languages and becomes stable over time.

An African American Vernacular English.

Change in meaning or connotation of a word over time.

A new word or expression.

The influence of Viking language on Old English.

The King James Bible standardized some aspects of English spelling and grammar.

A sound change affecting consonants in Proto-Germanic, shifting them to different sounds in daughter languages.

A language family that includes languages like Swedish, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Danish.

A key feature of Germanic languages, where two or more words are combined to create a compound word.

The change in a vowel's sound due to the influence of a following vowel, affecting many Germanic languages like German.

A category of verbs in Germanic languages characterized by adding a dental suffix (-d, -t, -ed) to form the past tense.

A characteristic of Germanic languages where a large proportion of words originated in the language itself.

Languages like German, English, Dutch, and Yiddish, share a common ancestor and certain linguistic features.

The process by which a language evolves and undergoes changes over time, affecting its pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.

A process that involves a vowel sound being pronounced as a single sound rather than as a combination of two sounds.

A process where diphthongs (combinations of two vowel sounds) are simplified into single vowel sounds.

A major sound shift that occurred in the history of English language during the Middle English period, causing significant changes in vowel pronunciation. For example, the vowel sound in 'food' shifted from /o:/ to /u:/, reflecting this change.

A common feature in Early New English where unstressed vowels were pronounced as a schwa sound (/ə/).

The simplification of grammatical endings on nouns and verbs that occurred during the Early New English period. This led to a more analytical language structure.

The change in pronunciation of "th" sounds (voiced and voiceless) to /t/ and /d/ during the Early New English period.

The shift in word order that became more common in Early New English. The basic word order of Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) became prevalent.

The elimination of the -en plural, which was used in Old English to form plurals of nouns, during the Early New English period.

Icelandic is considered to have retained many archaic features from Old Norse, making it a good example of how language can preserve ancient characteristics.

Most modern Germanic languages tend to have a flexible word order, relying on context and grammatical markers to assign roles to words.

Yiddish, a language spoken primarily by Jewish communities, belongs to the West Germanic branch, alongside English, German, and Dutch.

Verner's Law explains changes in consonants that occurred in early Germanic languages, affecting how certain sounds evolved.

A pidgin language arises when speakers of different languages need to communicate and create a simplified, mixed language for basic interactions.

The Viking invasions brought influence from Old Norse to the English language, leading to borrowings and changes in vocabulary.

English has undergone significant vowel shifts throughout its history, changing how words are pronounced. These shifts are part of the phonological development of the language.

Strong verbs in Germanic languages are distinguished by changing their root vowel in past forms. They are irregular and unpredictable in their conjugation.

The pronunciation and use of idioms in Indian English are often influenced by local languages.

South Africa officially recognizes multiple indigenous languages alongside English.

American English is rhotic, meaning that it pronounces the "r" sound at the end of words.

The Macquarie Dictionary is the official dictionary for Australian English.

In Canadian English, a public holiday is often called a "statutory holiday" or "stat holiday."

Singaporean English is significantly influenced by Malay, Chinese, and Tamil languages.

Jamaican English is characterized by its influence from Patois, a Jamaican Creole language.

American English is the most widely used variety of English in academia and international organizations.