Published on March 13, 2014
FOREIGN INFLUENCES ON OLDENGLISH firstname.lastname@example.org 2014
THE EXTENT OF THE INFLUENCE The extent of a foreign influence is seen from the number of
Published on March 13, 2014
FOREIGN INFLUENCES ON OLDENGLISH firstname.lastname@example.org 2014
THE EXTENT OF THE INFLUENCE The extent of a foreign influence is seen from the number of words borrowed. The result of Christianizing of Britain: 450 Latin words appear in English writing before the close of the Old English period, exclude derivatives and proper name. The real test of a foreign influence is the degree to which the words that is brought in were assimilated: how completely the words were digested and became indistinguishable from the native word-stock, so that they could enter into compounds and be made into other parts of speech.
The example: planta (noun-Latin) – plant (noun- English). Later, the word is made into a verb by the addition of the infinitive ending –ian: plantian, gemartyrian, sealmian, culpian, fersian. It can also be seen in the use of native formative suffixes such as –dōm, -hād, -ung to make a concrete noun into an abstract: martyrdōm, martyrhād, martyrung The use of foreign word in making compounds is also the evidence of the same thing: church-book, church- door.
THE SCANDINAVIAN INFLUENCE: THE VIKING AGE This is the third foreign influence to Old Eglish. In the eighth century, occurred some changing, possibly economic, possibly political and provoked among them a spirit of unrest and adventurous enterprise. They began a series of attacks upon all the land adjacent to the North Sea and the Baltic. The pinnacle of their achievement was reached the beginning of the eleventh century. They are commonly known as Vikings and this age is popularly known as the Viking Age.
THE SCANDINAVIAN INVASIONS OF ENGLAND The Scandinavian attacks can be divided into three stages. The first is the period of early raids, beginning according to the Anglo-Saxons Chronicle in 787 until about 850. The raids of this period were simply plundering attacks upon towns and monasteries near the coast. The sacking of Lindisfarne and Jarrow in 793 and 794, the attack apparently ceased for 40 years.
The second stage is the work of large armies and is marked by wide-spread plundering in all parts of the country and by extensive settlement. This new development was inaugurated by the arrival in 850 of a Danish fleet of 350 ships. In 869, a large Danish army plundered East Anglia and in 867 captured York. The eastern part of England was now largely in the hands of Danes and they began turning their attention to Wessex. The attack upon Wessex began shortly before the accession of King Albert (871-899).
The third stage covers the period of political adjustment and assimilation from 878 to 1042. One of the bri