Principles of English Etymology (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

Excerpt from Principles of English Etymology

The present companion volume to the former treats solely of what may well be called The Foreign Element' in our language; although here again it is not possible to use the word 'foreign in any very exact sense. For I have shown below (in 13, &c.) that the highly important anglo-french element is, for all practical purposes, as necessary a part of our language as the native English element of anglo-saxon origin. But it is obvious that, for the purpose of clearly explaining the etymology of English words, it must be dealt with separately; and I have therefore endeavoured to deal with it here.

The exact contents of this book may best be learnt from the very full Table of Contents which follows this Preface. I may here say, briefly, that, after a short Introductory Chapter, I consider the history of the introduction of French words as a consequence of the Norman Conquest. I then describe what is meant by the term 'anglo-french,' and discuss fully its probable pronunciation during the Middle English period. In Chapter IV, I give some specimens of the language from important sources. In Chapter V, I discuss the effects of the English accent in modifying the pronunciation of anglo-french words. Chapter VI deals, in detail, with the history of the development of the sounds of the anglo-french vowels and consonants, with a profusion of examples in every instance; still later changes in such sounds are noticed in Chapter VII.

Chapter VIII deals with the history of our borrowings from Central' or continental French, with special reference to the names of imported articles; with a discussion of the language employed by Chaucer, Lydgate, Caxton, Shake speare, and Dryden. Chapter IX deals with the introduction into English of French words of the modern period, begin ning with Dryden in particular; and shows how widely the pronunciation of such words differs from that of words borrowed at earlier dates.

In Chapters X and XI the enquiry is pushed back to a still earlier stage, and the origin of French itself is fully considered. Here again, the principal phonetic changes that have taken place in the development of the original Latin vowels and consonants are fully discussed; with a large number of examples, most of which are so chosen as to throw light upon words still in use in English.

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