词汇学样稿.doc

Chapter 1 A General Survey of English Vocabulary
Ⅰ.Definition of “word”: A word is a fundamental unit of speech and a minimum free form, with a unit of sound and meaning (both lexical and grammatical) , capable of performing a given syntactic function.
This definition covers the following points:
①the minimal free form of speech;
②a sound unit;
③a unit of meaning;
④a form that can function alone in a sentence.
Ⅱ.The Development of English Vocabulary
1. Historical development of English vocabulary
2. Growth of Present-day English Vocabulary
3. Modes of Vocabulary Development
1. Historical development of English vocabulary
- three periods:
Old English
Middle English
Modern English
1) Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon, 449-1100)
before 449, First Settler: Celts spoke Celtic
449-1100, conquerors: three Germanic tribes: Angles, Saxons and Jutes spoke Anglo-Saxon, which had 50,000-60,000 words
Two big events: ① the introduction of Christianity in 597
② the Scandinavian Conquest in 9th century
More Latin words relating to religion and Old Norse words entered
2) Middle English (1100- 1500)
The Norman Conquest in 1066 brought a large number of French words into the English vocabulary.
French – official language used by ruling classes
English – despised language used by boors and serfs; not until towards the end of the fifteenth century, once more the language of the whole country
3) Modern English (1500 up to the present)
Early modern (1500-1700)
- Renaissance- Greek borrowings
Late modern (1700 up to the present)
-British Bourgeois Revolution
- Industrial Revolution
four major contributors are Latin, French, Greek and Scandinavian.
2. Growth of Present-day English Vocabulary
- three sources for neologisms:
Marked progress of modern science and technology
. atomic technology, computer, space, bio-chemistry, etc
Social, economic and political changes