History of the English Language
- 1943
- 14m
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Borrowing
Mary Field's educational short subject gives the usual view of English as a German language which has enriched itself by borrowing freely any term it came across that it found useful. The story is, of course, a bit more complicated than that; the roots are not precisely Germany, but a pidgin that arose when the Angles, Saxons and Jutes invaded the island. For a generation or two, the two groups communicated with a vocabulary and, we may reasonably guess, a lot of pointing. The roots of English grammar, the structure on which the vocabulary is set, bore little relationship to either language. Despised and unregulated -- as despite the ranting of bluestockings, it still is -- it flourished and soon developed the habit of adding words whenever its speakers wished. It's not like anyone stopped them.
After that, the movie informs us of the movement of the English and the groups they associated with and some of the words that became English. This movie is not bad in that respect. It is, however, a bit stodgy.
After that, the movie informs us of the movement of the English and the groups they associated with and some of the words that became English. This movie is not bad in that respect. It is, however, a bit stodgy.
helpful•11
- boblipton
- Nov 8, 2019
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- Runtime14 minutes
- Color
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Top Gap
By what name was History of the English Language (1943) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer