The Growth of English: An Elementary Account of the Present Form of Our Language, and Its Development |
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accent Aryan borrowed century Chaucer College colloquial speech compared Crown 8vo Dative developed dialect DICTIONARY diphthong early M.E. Edition element England English language English words Eton Eton College examples exists express fact followed form of English Germanic languages Grammar Greek heard i-mutation influence k-sound large number Latin words letters literary M.E. period meaning Middle English Modern English murmur vowel natural Norman French Notes nunciation observe occur Old English open consonants ordinary origin persons Peterborough Chronicle phonetic Plural present day Preterite Primitive Aryan Primitive Germanic PRINCIPIA pronounced pronunciation Regional Dialects rhyme Schools Scotch sentence Singular sound changes speak speakers of Standard spelling spelt spoken language Standard English stress student style suffix survives syllable symbols T. D. HALL tendency tion tongue variety verb vocabulary voiced voiceless voiceless consonants vowel murmur vowel sounds vulgar W. H. D. ROUSE Welsh writing written
Popular passages
Page 104 - Waller was smooth ; but Dryden taught to join The varying verse, the full resounding line, The long majestic march, and energy divine : Though still some traces of our rustic vein And splay-foot verse remain'd, and will remain.
Page 108 - The verse of Chaucer, I confess, is not harmonious to us; but 'tis like the eloquence of one whom Tacitus commends, it was auribus istius temporis accommodata: they who lived with him, and some time after him, thought it musical; and it continues so, even in our judgment, if compared with the numbers of Lidgate and Gower, his contemporaries: there is the rude sweetness of a Scotch tune in it, which is natural and pleasing, though not perfect.
Page 51 - Of course, since this form of English is used in the conversation of the refined, the brilliant and the learned, it has become a better instrument for the expression of ideas than any other [variety] of speech now spoken.
Page 104 - Last night, her lord was all that's good and great; A knave this morning, and his will a cheat.