Mini test 2 - 2

02 Linguistics

The Latinization of English

Language has enabled our species to formulate ideas and exchange information. One characteristic of language is that it is ever-evolving, changing to meet the needs of the people speaking it.

Countries tent to adopt a national language that makes it easy for their inhabitants to communicate with one another as well as with outside entities.

While this encourages the spread of certain languages, it can also lead to the death of others. Consider the spread of Latin in the ancient world as it pertains to English usage today.

Latin was the language spoken in the Roman Empire, which included the Mediterranean and parts of Europe. Latin became so widespread that the languages of many modern European countries are based on the Latin language.

English in particular owes much of its existence to this now dead language.

A) However, despite its contributions to modern languages, Latin in itself is no longer spoken as a primary-language. The eventual demise of Latin occurred because, as it spread out over hundreds or years, it took on different dialects and pronunciations based on the different regions in which it was used. Rather than adopting Latin as a language, foreign peoples took the roots of Latin words and adapted them into their own languages.

A) As Latin did centuries ago, English is swiftly becoming the world’s most widely used language, spoken by people on the majority of the seven continents and declared the national language in at least thirty-four countries.

C) As with Latin, the accent and tone may differ from country to country, but the basics of the vernacular have their foundation in Standard English.

A) Linguists predict that, like Latin, English will experience an immense spread and then subsequent break-up as the languages that got their start in English change into languages unique unto themselves.

B) They feel that this can already be seen in areas such as the islands of the Caribbean.

C) The country of Jamaica, especially, has altered the English language to the point that non-natives hear it as a different language altogether. Local words that have no meaning outside of Jamaica have taken the place of words generally used in English.

D) In other countries, English words have taken on completely different meanings from what they were originally. In the African country of Uganda, for example, natives use the word “extend” to mean “move over” or “get out of the way” rather than the more universally understood meaning of “lengthen” or “stretch”.

People in the South American country of Guyana refer to “operation” when speaking of having an upset stomach or diarrhea. We can clearly see that English, like Latin, is being adapted to create other words and to take on new meanings.

English appears to be following in Latin’s footsteps. Like Latin, it has spread all across the world. Its words and meanings are being adapted into territory-specific dialects.

Only time will tell whether or not English will continue down this same path until it also becomes a dead language.