(Seminar 6) Etymology of the English word-stock

(Seminar 6) Etymology of the English word-stock

1. Subdivided the following words of native origin into: 1) words of Indo-European origin; 2) words of Common Germanic origin; 3) English words proper. In case of difficulty consult the Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology.

Model: tell, sheriff, what.

The native English word tell is of Common Germanic origin (group 2). The native English word sheriff belongs to the English words proper (group 3). The native English word what is of Indo-European origin (group 1).

Woman, blast (gust of wind or air), sister, glove, lady, tooth, always, slow, green, know, daisy, sand, long, grass, flood, boy, seven, high, eat, sheriff, widow, answer, life, lip, call, swine, bird, corn, silver, ten, day, lord, ship, we, bench, sun, girl.

2. Give derivatives of the following words of native origin. In case of difficulty consult a dictionary.

Model: heat.

The word heat has the following derivatives: to heat, heater, heated, heatedly, heating, heatstroke, heatproof, heat-lightning.

Lord, hat, red, grass, to feed, quick, stone, to feel, heavy, to look.

3. State whether the given words were borrowed into the English language directly or indirectly, i.e. through another language. Define the source and origin of the given borrowed words.

Model: sphinx <ME < L < Gr Sphigs

The word sphinx was borrowed into the English language indirectly, i.e. through another language. The source of borrowings is Latin, whereas the origin of borrowing is Greek.

1)obelisk < L obeliscus < Gr obeliskos; 2) please (v) < ME plaise, plese < OF plaisir < L placere; 3) easy < ME < OF aisie; 4) character < ME character < OF caractere < L character < Gr kharakter; 5) poor < ME povere, pore < OF povre < L pauper; 6) averse < L aversus; 7) climate < F climat or L clima, climat < Gr klima, klimat; 8) mania < ME < L mania < Gr mania; 9) hurricane < Sp huracan; 10) risk < F risqué < It risco; 11) fate < It fato < L fatum;

4. Write down in the space provided a letter, which indicates the language from which the given words were borrowed. In case of difficulty consult the Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology.

A – Celtic C – Scandinavian E - Greek G – Spanish I - German

B – Latin D – French F – Russian H - Italian

Model: muzhik f

Tobacoo g

Stroll i

cup	criterion	wall
to cast	armada	eponym
anemia	Exe	Kilbride
Avon	cosmonaut	guerilla
kindergarten	anger	poodle
banana	motto	lieutenant
law	power	tornado
government	candle	the Downs
violin	mosquito	kvass
halt	waltz	bandit
fellow	hormone	interior
London	plant	restaurant
promenade	verst	tundra
umbrella	to take	gondola
samovar	nickel	anamnesis

5. Identify the period of borrowing of the French, Greek, Russian and German words given task 4.

Model: muzhik, stroll.

The word muzhik was borrowed from Russian in the 17^th c. The word stroll was borrowed from German in the 17^th c.

6. Match the translation borrowings on the left with the original phrases / words on the right. State the origin of the latter.

Model: 11 –h (Latin)

1. the moment of truth	a) infra dignitatem
2. word-combination	b) Wunderkind
3.below one’s dignity	c) попутчик
4.first dancer	d) el momento de la verdad
5. that goes without saying	e) circulus vitiosus
6. fellow-traveler	f) колхоз
7.wonder child	g) словосочетание
8.vicious circle	h) sub judice
9. famous case	i) cela va sans dire
10. collective farm	j) cause celebre
11. under consideration	k) prima-ballerina

7. Give the fall cognates (fall friends) in the Russian language to the given English words. State the difference in their meaning.

Model: argument

The falls cognate of the word argument is the Russian word аргумент. The word argument means ’an angry disagreement between people’, whereas the word аргумент has the meaning ‘reasoning’.

Paragraph, baton, order, to reclaim, delicate, intelligent, revision, artist, sympathetic, capital, fabric, ambitious, concourse, romance, to pretend, command.

8. State the etymology of the given words. Write them out in three columns: a) completely assimilated borrowings; b) partially assimilated borrowings; c) unassimilated borrowings and barbarisms.

Torchere, wall, maharani, a la mode, datum, perestroika, gate, tet-a-tet, want, chalet, ad hoc, sheikh, parlando, nucleus, parquet, matter, bagel, a la carte, kettle, chauffeur, formula, pari-mutuel, shaman, finish, corps, alcazar, commedia dell’arte, money, souvenir, bacillus, ill, spahi, stratum, nota bene, spaghetti, ménage a trios, odd, memoir, parenthesis, hibakusha, padrona, incognito, thesis, coup de maitre, tzatziki, sabotage, ad libitum, stimulus, Soyuz, alameda, street, boulevard, criterion, déjà vu, torero, yin, Übermensh, macaroni, tzigane, hypothesis, bagh, pousada, shiatsu, shapka.

9. Transcribe the following borrowings not completely assimilated graphically and /or phonetically. Pay special attention to their spelling and pronunciation.

Torchere, chalet, parquet, chauffeur, corps, souvenir, spaghetti, memoir, incognito, sabotage, boulevard, macaroni.

10. Give the plural form of the nouns borrowed from Latin and Greek.

Model: sanatorium – sanatoria, terminus – termini.

Datum, nucleus, formula, bacillus, stratum, parenthesis, thesis, stimulus, criterion, hypothesis.

11. Arrange the words from the columns so that they form double or triple synonymous series. State the difference in meaning and in use between words in each synonymous series.

Model: to wish – to desire.

The word to desire is a French borrowing. The difference in meaning of these two verbs is the following: to wish – ‘to want smth to happen although it is unlikely’; to desire – ‘to want smth’. These verbs are used differently as to desire is a more formal word.

Native English words	French borrowings	Latin borrowings
1. guts	1. flame	1. lassitude
2. ask	2. sacred	2. felicity
3. fire	3. courage	3. ascend
4. house	4. attire	4. conflagration
5. kingly	5. mount	5. consecrated
6. weariness	6. mansion	6. interrogate
7. rise	7. question	7. regal
8. happiness	8. royal
9. holy
10. clothes

12. Give adjectives of Latin origin corresponding to the following nouns.

Model: hand – manual

Tooth, sun, cat, youth, death, son, eye, uncle, dog, star, sea, nose, town, sight.

13. Match the words given in the left column with their synonyms in the right column. State the difference between them.

Model: 15 – d

The word feminine is a Latin borrowing, while the word womanly is of native origin.

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