1. Define and explain, The Great Vowel Shift.
The Great Vowel Shift was a major change in the pronunciation of the English language that took place in the south of England between 1450 and 1750.The Great Vowel Shift was first studied by Otto Jespersen (1860–1943), a Danish linguist and Anglicist, who coined the term.
2. Name 5 dialects of Modern English.
Australian English
Cameroon English
Canadian English
Guyanese English
Jamaican English
3. One of the problems with Early Modern English was a lack of uniformity in spelling. Which 2 people (1-English, 1-American) helped establish standardized spelling?
1-American helped establish standardized spelling?
Early Modern English lacked uniformity in spelling, but Samuel Johnson's dictionary, published in 1755 in England, was influential in establishing a standard form of spelling. Noah Webster did the same in America, publishing his dictionary in 1828; see American and British English spelling differences.
4. How many countries in the world have given Modern English official status?
56 approximately
5. The most recent statistics show that approximately how many people speak Modern English as a:I. First language? II. Second Language?
The following is a list of sovereign states and territories where English is an official language. Most of these countries, such as India, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and the Philippines, use English as an official language but not the sole official language.
6. When was Early Modern English spoken?
Early Modern English (often abbreviated EModE[1]) is the stage of the English language used from about the end of the Middle English period (the latter half of the 15th century) to 1650
7. How are the use of Pronouns different between Early Modern & Modern English?
In Early Modern English, there were two second person personal pronouns: thou, the informal singular pronoun, and ye, which was both the plural pronoun and the formal singular pronoun.Like other personal pronouns, thou and ye had different forms depending on their grammatical case; specifically, the objective form of thou was thee, its possessive forms were thy and thine, In other respects, the pronouns were much the same as today. One difference is that my and thy became mine and thine before words beginning with a vowel and letter h; thus, mine eyes, thine hand, and so on.
8. Which language families does Modern English belong in?
it is assumed that the world has approximately 3,000 (some put it 5,000) languages, which can be grouped into roughly 300 language families on the basis of similarities in their basic word stock and grammar. The Indo-European is one of them. It is made up of most of the languages of Europe, the Near East, and India. The prehistoric Indo-European parent language is thought to be a highly inflected language
9. Name 4 worldwide uses for Modern English.
Canada
Ireland
United Kingdom
United States of America
10. In your opinion, what was the greatest influence on the spread of Modern English around the world? Why?
In my opinion the greatest influence on the spread of modern English is probably the migration that other people did it, is just because to became reality the “American dream”, that means learn the language and go to USA to win some money working there.
11. There has been a lot of controversy over the true authorship of Shakespeare's writings. Which 3 people are also candidates as the possible authors of Shakespeare's plays?
The 3 candidates as the possible authors of Shakespeare’s plays are:
Christopher Marlowe
Francis Bacon
Edward de Vere.
12. Briefly explain The Oxfordian Theory.
The case for Oxford's authorship is based on perceived similarities between Oxford's biography and events in Shakespeare's plays and sonnets; parallels of language, idiom, and thought between Oxford's letters and the Shakespearean canon; and underlined passages in Oxford's Bible that may correspond to quotations in Shakespeare's plays.
13. Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, which according to the Folio Classification, fall into 3 categories. Name the 3 categories.
Comedies
Histories
Tragedies.
14. In which town was Shakespeare born?
He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon.
15. Which famous London theatre (built by actors, for actors) is connected with Shakespeare's plays?
The Globe Theatre
16. Even though Richard III is the most performed play, Hamlet is Shakespeare's most famous play. In your opinion, what does this portion of Hamlet's famous soliloquy mean:
In my opinion means that he is fighting with him, trying to discover who is he or who he could be if he took a risk decision to be or not to be that guy.
17. Name 5 post-Shakespearean artists whose work was heavily influenced by the writings of William Shakespeare.
Shakespeare influenced novelists such as Thomas Hardy, William Faulkner, and Charles Dickens. The American novelist Herman Melville's soliloquies owe much to Shakespeare; his Captain Ahab in Moby-Dick is a classic tragic hero, inspired by King Lear. Scholars have identified 20,000 pieces of music linked to Shakespeare's works. These include two operas by Giuseppe Verdi, Otello and Falstaff, whose critical standing compares with that of the source plays. Shakespeare has also inspired many painters, including the Romantics and the Pre-Raphaelites. The Swiss Romantic artist Henry Fuseli, a friend of William Blake, even translated Macbeth into German. The psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud drew on Shakespearean psychology, in particular that of Hamlet, for his theories of human nature.
18. Which of Shakespeare's plays are included in The Wars of the Roses series?
19. Shakespeare wrote most of his works in blank verse composed in iambic pentameter. What is blank verse & iambic pentameter?
20. Name 4 actors from Shakepeare's original company.
Richard Burbage
Henry Condell
John Heminges
William Kempe
21. What were the Wars of the Roses (1377-1485)?
The War of The Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England, it was a fight between supporters of two rival branches of the Royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York (the "red" and the "white" rose, respectively).
22. Why was this war called the Wars of the Roses?
The name was originated because the family badges were Roses, one White and the other was Red, that’s why is called the War of the Roses.
23. What were the names of the 2 houses which fought in this war?
The house of Lancaster and the house of York.
24. What prompted this civil war to begin?
Following the early death of Edward III's heir apparent, there was a series of wars between the descendants of two of Edward III's younger sons: the Duke of Lancaster and the Duke of York because they wanted the throne of England.
25. How did the war end?
After many battles a period of comparative peace followed, but Edward died unexpectedly in 1483. His surviving brother Richard of Gloucester first moved to prevent the unpopular Woodville family of Edward's widow from participating in government during the minority of Edward's son, Edward V, and then seized the throne for himself, using the suspect legitimacy of Edward IV's marriage as pretext. Henry Tudor, a distant relative of the Lancastrian kings who had inherited their claim, overcame and defeated Richard at Bosworth in 1485. He was crowned Henry VII, and married Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, to unite and reconcile the two houses.
26. Which Kings of England were participants in the Wars of the Roses?
Henry IV (1399 - 1413) and Edward IV (1461 - 1483)
Monday, June 28, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The Norman Invasion and Middle English
1.- Approximately when was Middle English spoken?
It was spoken between the 11th century and about 1470,
2. What were the major factors which led to the development and the spread of Middle English?
The new conquerors (called the Normans) brought with them a kind of French, which became the language of the Royal Court, the introduction of the printing press into England by William Caxton in the late 1470s, the variant of the Northumbrian dialect (prevalent in Northern England) spoken in southeast Scotland was developing into the Scots language.
3. Match the following Old English words with their Anglo-Norman equivalent:
A. Pig = Pork
B. Cow = Beef
C. Wood = Forest
D. Sheep = Mutton
E. House = Mansion
F. Worthy = Honourable
G. Bold = Courageous
4. Compare & contrast the structure of nouns, pronouns and verbs, between Middle English & Modern English.
5. How is pronunciation different between Middle English and Modern English?
All letters in Middle English words were pronounced. (Silent letters in Modern English come from pronunciation shifts, which mean that pronunciation is no longer closely reflected by the written form because of fixed spelling constraints imposed by the invention of dictionaries and printing.)The word 'knight' was pronounced /kniçt/ (with a pronounced /k/ and the /gh/ as the /ch/ in German 'Knecht'), not /naɪt/ as in Modern English.
6. What is the Chancery Standard, and how did it come into effect?
Chancery Standard was a written form of English used by government bureaucracy and for other official purposes from the late 15th century. In its early stages of development, the clerks who used CS would have been familiar with French and Latin. The strict grammars of those languages influenced the construction of the standard. It was not the only influence on later forms of English—its level of influence is disputed and a variety of spoken dialects continued to exist—but it provided a core around which Early Modern English could crystallize.
7. Who wrote the Canterbury Tales?
Geoffrey Chaucer
8. Describe the medieval pilgrims who journeyed from Canterbury to London.
The pilgrimage was a very prominent feature of medieval society. Pilgrims would frequently journey to cathedrals that preserved relics of saints. They believed that such relics had miraculous powers. Pilgrimages also represented the mortal journey to heaven through the struggles of mortal life.
9. Why did the pilgrims take this journey?
They wend their way to Canterbury from every shire of England to seek the holy blessed martyr, Thomas Becket, who has helped them when they were sick.
Canterbury was a popular destination within England. Saint Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, had been killed in the Canterbury cathedral by knights who had misunderstood Henry II's order during a disagreement between him and Becket. Miracle stories connected to his remains began to spring up soon after his death, and the area became a popular pilgrimage destination
10. It is thought that some of the stories in The Canterbury Tales originated in Italy. What was the name of the Italian book and who wrote it?
11. The Canterbury Tales is considered an extremely important book, both in terms of English Literature & in the history of English writing. In your opinion, why is this book so important?
12. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is:
a. A collection of German folk tales, similar to Grimm's Fairy Tales.
b. A collection of Japanese ghost stories, similar to Kwaidan.
c. A detailed explanation of the proper etiquette & behaviour for all knights in Medieval Europe.
d. A medieval romance poem, with Arthurian themes.
e. None of the above.
f. All of the above.
13. Who is Sir Gawain?
Sir Gawain, the youngest of Arthur's knights and nephew to the king, accepts the Green knight’s challenge. He severs the giant's head in one stroke, expecting him to die. The Green Knight, however, picks up his own head, reminds Gawain to meet him at the Green Chapel in a year and a day and rides away.
14. What is the challenge that The Green Knight proposes to the Knights of the Round Table?
A large Green Knight armed with an axe enters the hall and proposes a game. He asks for someone in the court to strike him once with his axe, on condition that the Green Knight will return the blow one year and one day later.
15. What is the similarity between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Irish tale of Cúchulainn?
The earliest known story to feature a beheading game is the 8th-century Middle Irish tale Bricriu's Feast This story parallels Gawain in that, like the Green Knight, Cú Chulainn's antagonist feints three blows with the axe before letting his target depart without injury.
16. What is the importance of the pentagram/pentangle in the poem?
The pentangle on Gawain's shield is seen by many critics as signifying Gawain's perfection and power over evil.
17. How are numbers used to symbolize events in the poem?
The poet highlights number symbolism to add symmetry and meaning to the poem. For example, three kisses are exchanged between Gawain and Bertilak's wife; Gawain is tempted by her on three separate days; Bertilak goes hunting three times, and the Green Knight swings at Gawain three times with his axe. The number two also appears repeatedly, as in the two beheading scenes, two confession scenes, and two castles. The five points of the pentangle represent Gawain's virtues, for he is "faithful five ways and five times each". All five of his senses are without fault; his five fingers never fail him, and he always remembers the five wounds of Christ, the five joys of the Virgin Mary. The fifth five is Gawain himself, who embodies the five moral virtues of the code of chivalry: "friendship, generosity, chastity, courtesy, and piety" All of these virtues reside, as the poet says, in the "Endless Knot" of the pentangle, which forever interlinks and is never broken.
18. What is the significance of Sir Gawain's neck wound?
During the medieval period, the body and the soul were believed to be so intimately connected that wounds were considered an outward sign of inward sin. The neck, specifically, was believed to correlate with the part of the soul related to will, connecting the reasoning part (the head) and the courageous part (the heart).
19. Which actor played the Green Knight in the film adaptation, Sword of the Valiant?
Sean Connery was the Green Knight
20. In many ways this poem is, in the modern sense, a soap opera. Compare Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with a modern Chilean teleseries.
Im so sorry but I don’t watch soap operas, at that time I’m sleeping or watching another thing so I really don’t know how to do a comparison of this.
It was spoken between the 11th century and about 1470,
2. What were the major factors which led to the development and the spread of Middle English?
The new conquerors (called the Normans) brought with them a kind of French, which became the language of the Royal Court, the introduction of the printing press into England by William Caxton in the late 1470s, the variant of the Northumbrian dialect (prevalent in Northern England) spoken in southeast Scotland was developing into the Scots language.
3. Match the following Old English words with their Anglo-Norman equivalent:
A. Pig = Pork
B. Cow = Beef
C. Wood = Forest
D. Sheep = Mutton
E. House = Mansion
F. Worthy = Honourable
G. Bold = Courageous
4. Compare & contrast the structure of nouns, pronouns and verbs, between Middle English & Modern English.
5. How is pronunciation different between Middle English and Modern English?
All letters in Middle English words were pronounced. (Silent letters in Modern English come from pronunciation shifts, which mean that pronunciation is no longer closely reflected by the written form because of fixed spelling constraints imposed by the invention of dictionaries and printing.)The word 'knight' was pronounced /kniçt/ (with a pronounced /k/ and the /gh/ as the /ch/ in German 'Knecht'), not /naɪt/ as in Modern English.
6. What is the Chancery Standard, and how did it come into effect?
Chancery Standard was a written form of English used by government bureaucracy and for other official purposes from the late 15th century. In its early stages of development, the clerks who used CS would have been familiar with French and Latin. The strict grammars of those languages influenced the construction of the standard. It was not the only influence on later forms of English—its level of influence is disputed and a variety of spoken dialects continued to exist—but it provided a core around which Early Modern English could crystallize.
7. Who wrote the Canterbury Tales?
Geoffrey Chaucer
8. Describe the medieval pilgrims who journeyed from Canterbury to London.
The pilgrimage was a very prominent feature of medieval society. Pilgrims would frequently journey to cathedrals that preserved relics of saints. They believed that such relics had miraculous powers. Pilgrimages also represented the mortal journey to heaven through the struggles of mortal life.
9. Why did the pilgrims take this journey?
They wend their way to Canterbury from every shire of England to seek the holy blessed martyr, Thomas Becket, who has helped them when they were sick.
Canterbury was a popular destination within England. Saint Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, had been killed in the Canterbury cathedral by knights who had misunderstood Henry II's order during a disagreement between him and Becket. Miracle stories connected to his remains began to spring up soon after his death, and the area became a popular pilgrimage destination
10. It is thought that some of the stories in The Canterbury Tales originated in Italy. What was the name of the Italian book and who wrote it?
11. The Canterbury Tales is considered an extremely important book, both in terms of English Literature & in the history of English writing. In your opinion, why is this book so important?
12. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is:
a. A collection of German folk tales, similar to Grimm's Fairy Tales.
b. A collection of Japanese ghost stories, similar to Kwaidan.
c. A detailed explanation of the proper etiquette & behaviour for all knights in Medieval Europe.
d. A medieval romance poem, with Arthurian themes.
e. None of the above.
f. All of the above.
13. Who is Sir Gawain?
Sir Gawain, the youngest of Arthur's knights and nephew to the king, accepts the Green knight’s challenge. He severs the giant's head in one stroke, expecting him to die. The Green Knight, however, picks up his own head, reminds Gawain to meet him at the Green Chapel in a year and a day and rides away.
14. What is the challenge that The Green Knight proposes to the Knights of the Round Table?
A large Green Knight armed with an axe enters the hall and proposes a game. He asks for someone in the court to strike him once with his axe, on condition that the Green Knight will return the blow one year and one day later.
15. What is the similarity between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Irish tale of Cúchulainn?
The earliest known story to feature a beheading game is the 8th-century Middle Irish tale Bricriu's Feast This story parallels Gawain in that, like the Green Knight, Cú Chulainn's antagonist feints three blows with the axe before letting his target depart without injury.
16. What is the importance of the pentagram/pentangle in the poem?
The pentangle on Gawain's shield is seen by many critics as signifying Gawain's perfection and power over evil.
17. How are numbers used to symbolize events in the poem?
The poet highlights number symbolism to add symmetry and meaning to the poem. For example, three kisses are exchanged between Gawain and Bertilak's wife; Gawain is tempted by her on three separate days; Bertilak goes hunting three times, and the Green Knight swings at Gawain three times with his axe. The number two also appears repeatedly, as in the two beheading scenes, two confession scenes, and two castles. The five points of the pentangle represent Gawain's virtues, for he is "faithful five ways and five times each". All five of his senses are without fault; his five fingers never fail him, and he always remembers the five wounds of Christ, the five joys of the Virgin Mary. The fifth five is Gawain himself, who embodies the five moral virtues of the code of chivalry: "friendship, generosity, chastity, courtesy, and piety" All of these virtues reside, as the poet says, in the "Endless Knot" of the pentangle, which forever interlinks and is never broken.
18. What is the significance of Sir Gawain's neck wound?
During the medieval period, the body and the soul were believed to be so intimately connected that wounds were considered an outward sign of inward sin. The neck, specifically, was believed to correlate with the part of the soul related to will, connecting the reasoning part (the head) and the courageous part (the heart).
19. Which actor played the Green Knight in the film adaptation, Sword of the Valiant?
Sean Connery was the Green Knight
20. In many ways this poem is, in the modern sense, a soap opera. Compare Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with a modern Chilean teleseries.
Im so sorry but I don’t watch soap operas, at that time I’m sleeping or watching another thing so I really don’t know how to do a comparison of this.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Beowulf and Old English
1. When was Old English spoken?
-The Old English was spoken between the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century.
2. Name 4 language groups which influenced the development of Old English.
A) Angles
B) Saxon
C) Jutes
D) Frisians
3. In the Phonology section, name 5 phonetical differences between Old English & Modern English.
4. Are there any similarites between Old English and Modern English? Name them.
-Yes, there are a lot of them like, orthography, some words and a similar way of pronunciation of the words.
5. In the Orthography section, enlarge the picture of the runic alphabet. How many letters (runes) are there in this alphabet?
- 34
6. Which epic poem was originally written in Old English?
- The best warrior ever BEOWULF
- Between the 8th and the early 11th century
8. Even though Beowulf was written in
- The story takes place in Scandinavia and
- The Dragon, Grendel’s mother and of course our friend Grendel
- Unfortunately, he dies. But after that he killed the Dragon as the best heroe ever he saved everybody and then he died.
11. Who was the author of Beowulf?
- No one knows, probably it was an Anglo-Saxon poet.
12. What were the titles and the dates of the two film versions of Beowulf?
- Beowulf in 1999
- Beowulf & Grendel in 2005
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Autobiography
You know the day destroys the night, night divides the day, tried to run, tried to hide, break on trough to the other side, break on trough to the other side, break on trough to the other side, YEAH!.
I was listening to THE DOORS I love that song, it make me feel like if I was Jim Morrison and not Francisco Gonzalez, my dream is to be like him one day because I think he is the best musician ever.
I remember when I had my first gig at the church near of my house, it was wonderful the adrenaline flowing trough my veins it was the best experience of all my life but there are some more that I have experienced.
Actually that is the reason why im studying English, to improve my skills to sing better, because I'm singer and also I play the drums, I love the music and I think than that is the reason why I want to be a musician, first I need to improve my English skills to sing as I want, perfect like JIM MORRISON.
I was listening to THE DOORS I love that song, it make me feel like if I was Jim Morrison and not Francisco Gonzalez, my dream is to be like him one day because I think he is the best musician ever.
I remember when I had my first gig at the church near of my house, it was wonderful the adrenaline flowing trough my veins it was the best experience of all my life but there are some more that I have experienced.
Actually that is the reason why im studying English, to improve my skills to sing better, because I'm singer and also I play the drums, I love the music and I think than that is the reason why I want to be a musician, first I need to improve my English skills to sing as I want, perfect like JIM MORRISON.
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