Language Contact in Early Modern English

Seminar paper from the year 2013 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, University of Mannheim (Anglistisches Seminar), course: Language Contact, language: English, abstract: The following term paper is based on the presentation hold in class. It deals with the sociolinguistic background, borrowing factors and the standardisation of the English language in Early Modern Period. In former periods English came into contact with a lot of foreign languages like French, Latin, Greek and Scandinavian (Old Norse). In this Early Modern Period we will examine and understand how other languages influenced English, how intense the language contact was, which borrowing forms occurred at that time and what the consequences were. Does a Standard English arise from all these language contacts? Therefore, if we consider this time as a period of standardisation, it is important to know that the Early Modern Period plays an important role in standardisation of the English language in general. The term paper is divided into three sections. The first one is about the sociolinguistic background of Early Modern English, the second part is about borrowing, borrowing factors and borrowings from other languages focusing mostly on Latin and French and finally the third part about standardisation. How was the Standard English born? Under which circumstances do we have reached the Early Modern Standard English? Then we will precede with the Chancery- and London English and come finally to an end with inkhorn terms versus linguistic purism.