ENGLISH ( in brief )

ENGLISH ( in brief )
The Ancestry of English
A large group of culturally related human beings living before 2000 B.C. in central and southern Europe have been given the name Indo-Europeans by language scholars. Seeking food and possibly grazing lands, these people spread all over Europe and penetrated into India. During the course of many centuries they became isolated from each other. Their language, once understood by all the group, developed distinct characteristics in distinct areas, giving rise to what are today called “branches” of the Indo-European language. Two branches which have strongly influenced modern English are the Italic, from which developed Latin, Italian, Spanish, and French; and Hellenic, from which developed the Greek language. However, the branch from which English comes is called Germanic, and was the speech of early peoples of Europe. Group of this Germanic-speaking people also scattered, bringing about changes in the form of their speech which we identify as “divisions” of the Germanic branch(1) an eastern division which has disappeared, leaving only some written documents in a language called Gothic; (2) a northern division from which have developed Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish; and (3) a western divisionfrom which came German, Dutch, Flemish and English. Hence scholars call English a language derived from the western division of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European family of languages. But the vocabulary of English has been greatly enriched by words from other branches.
England before The English
Not long before the beginning of the Christian era England was invaded and settled by a people from Western Europe called Celts, related to the Gauls about whom Julius Caesar wrote. They spread out over the British Isles. These people spoke languages derived from another branch of the Indo-Europen family of languages, called the Celtic branch. From this branch developed Cornish (now no longer spoken); Welsh, the language of Wales; Erse, the language of Ireland; and Scots, the surviving ancient tongue of the Scottish Highlanders.
These Celtic people in time contributed richly to the literature was oral, but from it have sprung not only the great romantic legends of Arthur and Tristram but also a delicate quality of the imagination that is found in some of the most gifted of the English poets. It is fairylike loveliness of the Celtic literature that produced such a description as:
And they saw a tall tree by the side of the river, one half of which was in flames from the root to the top, and the other half was green and in full leaf.
By legend, by romantic stories of love and adventure, and by special qualities of delicate of imagination our literature is linked to the prehistoric Celtic occupants of England, Scotland, and Wales.
During the nearly four hundred years that British was part of the Roman Empire the camps of the legions dotted the countryside, particularly along the borders of Roman rule. Their presence or influence survives in names of towns ending in –chester, -cester, and –caster from castra, the latin word for camp. A map of England today quickly reveals the names Colchester and Chester, the latter an important camp on the Welsh border; Lancaster, Doncaster, and Manchester in northern England; Worcester, Gloucester, and Leicester in Central England; and Dorchesteron the south coast. These are only a few of many English cities whose names reflect the Roman occupation.
Adapted from; Pooley, Robert C., et al, England in Literature, United States of America: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1963.
(Cikarang, May 31, 2009)

ENGLISH ( in brief )
The Ancesttry of English
A large group of culturally related human beings living before 2000 B.C. in central and southern Europe have been given the name Indo-Europeans by language scholars. Seeking food and possibly grazing lands, these people spread all over Europe and penetrated into India. During the course of many centuries they became isolated from each other. Thir language, once understood by all the group, developed distinct characteristics in distinct areas, giving rise to what are today called “branches” of the Indo-European language. Two branches which have strongly influenced modern English are the Italic, from which developed Latin, Italian, Spanish, and French; and Hellenic, from which developed the Greek language. However, the branch from which English comes is called Germanic, and was the speech of early peoples of Europe. Group of this Germanic-speaking peoplealso scatterred, bringing about changes in the form of their speech which we identify as “divisions” of the Germanic branch(1) an eastern division which has disappeared, leaving only some written documents in a language called Gothic; (2) a northern division from which have developed Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish; and (3) a western divisionfrom which came Gferman, Dutch, Flemish and English. Hence scholars call English a language derived from the western divisionof the Germanic branch of the Indo-European family of languages. But the vocabulary of English has been greatly enriched by words from other branches.
England before The English
Not long before the beginning of the Christian era England was invaded and settled by a people from Western Europe called Celts, related to the Gauls about whom Julius Caesar wrote. They spread out over the British Isles. These people spoke languages derived from another branch of the Indo-Europen family of languages, called the Celtic branch. From this branch developed Cornish (now no longer spoken); Welsh, the language of Wales; Erse, the language of Ireland; and Scots, the urviving ancient tongue of the Scottish Highlanders.
These Celtic people in time contributed richly to the literature was oral, but from it have sprung not only the great romantic legends of Arthur and Tristram but also a delicate quality of the imagination that is found in some of the most gifted of the English poets. It is fairylike loveliness of the Celtic literature that produced such a description as:
And they saw a tall tree by the side of the river, one half of which was in flames from the root to the top, and the other half was green and in full leaf.
By legend, by romantic stories of love and adventure, and by special qualities of delicate of imagination our literature is linked to the prehistoric Celtic occupants of England, Scotland, and Wales.
During the nearly four hundred years that British was part of the Roman Empire the camps of the legions dotted the countryside, particularly along the borders of Roman rule. Their presence or influence survives in names of towns ending in –chester, -cester, and –caster from castra, the latin word for camp. A map of England today quickly reveals the names Colchester and Chester, the latter an important camp on the Welsh border; Lancaster, Doncaster, and Manchester in northern England; Worcester, Gloucester, and Leicester in Central England; and Dorchesteron the south coast. These are only a few of many English cities whose names reflect the Roman occupation.
Adapted from; Pooley, Robert C., et al, England in Literature, United States of America: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1963.
(Cikarang, May 31, 2009)

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