英语论文网

Introduction Generally speaking, the language in the world can be divided into two big classes, namely living language and dead language. The latter means the language that had is no longer used at present or seldom used, such as ancient Latin language while the former means the language of passing through that has been using at present, for instance Chinese, Japanese, French, German, English, etc.. The living language has an important characteristic, that is, all change with the passage of the time by themselves. English is even more like this in this respect. As an international language, the use of English is in extensive range. English is used in almost every corner of the world and in almost every field of work. So English has gone through a lot of changes. And the most direct reflection of change of English is the change of English words. To be specific, the vocabulary of English is very enormous in quantity, and the introduction and the development of new words in English have been increasing fast in recent years. It is an important resource for studying English. Without the English words, we can hardly express our meanings and intentions clearly. This text starts with several lists of neologisms that we know very well, and has analyse and probe into the change and development the of English language. 1．A Survey of the history of English The all things are in the process change forever in the world, this is the fact that philosopher and poets keep commenting on over the years. The language, too just the same as other things, have participated in entering the total trend of this change. Just as the German philosopher and linguist Willhelm Von Humboldt said: "Never really the static one seems that the fire of the human thought will never be stopped for a moment in the language. According to natural law, it is in constant development forever. " ( Willhelm Von Humboldt , 1836 : 78 ) Thus, since natural rule belong to change, is it become something strange right away too to become then. 1.1 The English language in ancient times Even the most simplest spoken English about centuries ago, and now we can hardly understand, and even feel the spoken English rather obscure to know the meaning of what the speaker said. Now let’s read this poem below: “In symple speche as I couthe , That is lightest in mannes mouthe . I mad noght for no disours , Ne for no seggers,no harpours , Bot for the luf of symple men , That strange Inglis can not ken .” 1 The poem above is composed by Robert Mannyng, who as a famous writer of Britain lived in the middle ages. He said that he used the simple words, so even the average readers could understand his works. But if we as average readers read it again today, it is difficult to understand. So language, like other things, changes slowly in history, this is not a strange thing. A young man will become an old man, the tadpole will turn into a frog, the milk will be turned into the world of the cheese. That the language will be unalterable, that is curious instead. Just as the famous Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure said:"Time changes all, we have no reason to require languages to escape from the rule of this universe . " ( Saussure , 1879 : 107 ) 1.2 The comparison between English and Latin in history Around 1700, the spelling and usage of English were quite unstable . “ There are two strong strength that change the tender feeling of old language into the theory of religious doctrine.