Lesson 2 The Indo-European Family of Languages The Discovery of Sanskrit PDF

Lesson 2: The Indo-European Family of Languages: The Discovery of Sanskrit Key Points: English's Roots: English belongs to the Indo-European family, which includes languages spoken across Europe and Western Asia. Its ancestor, Proto-Indo-European, was spoken by nomads around 5,000 years ago. Ge...

Lesson 2: The Indo-European Family of Languages: The Discovery of Sanskrit Key Points: English's Roots: English belongs to the Indo-European family, which includes languages spoken across Europe and Western Asia. Its ancestor, Proto-Indo-European, was spoken by nomads around 5,000 years ago. Germanic Branch: Germanic languages are a subgroup of Indo-European, further divided into East, North, and West branches. English is part of the West Germanic branch. Sanskrit's Significance: The discovery of Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language, was crucial in understanding the Indo-European family. Sanskrit's extensive literature and preserved features provided evidence for a common origin of these languages. Word Comparisons: The text highlights the similarities between English and Sanskrit words like "brother" (English) and "bhrātar" (Sanskrit), suggesting a shared ancestry. Inflectional Systems: Sanskrit's rich system of declensions and conjugations helped reveal the common origin of Indo-European languages. The text compares the verb "to be" in Old English, Gothic, Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit to illustrate this point. Lesson 3: The Indo-European Family of Languages: The Germanic Languages Key Points: Germanic Origins: The Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-European family, descended from Proto-Germanic, which itself evolved from the parent Indo-European language. Three Germanic Branches: The Germanic branch is divided into three subgroups: East Germanic, North Germanic, and West Germanic. East Germanic: Gothic is the principal language of the East Germanic branch. It was spoken by the Goths, who spread from the Vistula River to the Black Sea region. Their influence is evident in some runic inscriptions and parts of the New Testament. North Germanic: North Germanic languages are found in Scandinavia, Denmark, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. The earliest traces of this language are found in runic inscriptions from the third century, with Old Norse emerging as a common Scandinavian language around the eleventh century. West Germanic: West Germanic languages include English, Frisian, Flemish, Dutch, Afrikaans, German, and Yiddish. West Germanic: West Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-European family, characterized by the High German Sound Shift, a major change in consonant sounds that occurred around 600 AD. Subdivisions of West Germanic: West Germanic is further divided into High German and Low German, with Old Saxon, Old Frisian, and Anglo-Frisian forming a distinct subgroup. High German: High German, spoken in the southern and mountainous parts of the Germanic area, evolved from Old High German (before 1100) and Middle High German (1100- 1500). Modern High German, established as the literary language in the 16th century, is a standardized form based on the dialects of central Germany. Low German: Low German, spoken in the northern lowlands, includes Old Low Franconian, Old Frisian, and Anglo-Frisian. Modern Low German is a mix of Frisian and Flemish elements and is spoken in parts of the Netherlands, northern Belgium, and northern Germany. Grimm's Law: Grimm's Law, formulated by Jacob Grimm and his brother Wilhelm, describes a fundamental change in the consonant system of Germanic languages. It explains how voiced aspirated plosives (stops) in Proto-Germanic lost their aspiration and became voiced plosives, while voiced plosives became voiceless plosives, and voiceless plosives turned into voiceless fricatives. This shift explains why certain sounds in English differ from their counterparts in Latin and Greek. Lesson 4: The Importance of Studying the History of English Language Key Points: Understanding Language: The text argues that studying the history of a language helps us understand its underlying structure, evolution, and the reasons behind its current form. Irregularities and Anomalies: The text highlights the presence of irregularities and anomalies in the English language, such as irregular plurals and spelling inconsistencies, which can be explained by tracing their historical roots. Understanding Literature: Studying the history of English helps us better interpret and understand older texts, as it provides context for the language, grammar, and cultural references used in those works. Insights into Culture: The text suggests that studying the history of English allows us to gain insights into the cultural and social context in which the language developed, providing a deeper understanding of the language's evolution.