Take a short text (30-40 words) and identify when and from which language each word entered the English language and what changes, if any, each has undergone (Useful resource: www.dictionary.com).
PART 1: For each word (ignoring any repetitions), identify the following characteristics: • part of speech in both old and modern usage; • when the word entered English and in which period of the development of English; • the word’s origins on its way to entering English; • changes undergone (e.g. meaning, spelling, pronunciation) • current status (e.g. modern, archaic, literary, colloquial, slang etc.)
For example, here is a an analysis of the word, ‘alarm’:
ALARM: Modern usage part of speech Noun and Verb (in the text an adjective)
Original usage part of speech Noun
Entered Period of Origins Original Changes Current English English and form meaning status 1350-14.00 Middle Through from phrase spelling and modern English – alarme, alarom Middle French via Old Italian alarme all’anne to (the) arms pronunciation
PART 2: Rewrite the text in a modern English version using the modern form of words that were available only in Old English times (i.e. discounting any words that entered the language after the Norman Conquest of 1066). If not possible to do so, say why (for example, the word ‘computer’ has no Old English equivalent because there were no computers in existence at the time!).
GRADING: Assignments will be graded according to the following criteria: • adherence to the requirements listed above and to the warning at the foot of this page; • degree of effort given to the task; • accuracy of content; • meeting the deadline • my first decision is also my final one!
*WARNING* —Any student submitting an assignment with sentences that do not adhere to the above requirements and/or submitting identical sentences to those submitted by another student or from my examples in lectures — either in part or whole — will automatically receive a zero grade with no right of appeal.