for words may keep their form, but change their meaning; while others are visible, for words may be lost or gained, or re-shaped, or re-arranged. And here there is abundant opportunity for training the faculty of observation. Moreover no change in this organism is without a cause. Language takes the shape which its speakers choose to give it; and in attempting to account for changes that result from influences, which must be determined, operating upon the speakers, who are the agents in effecting change, and whose condition must be realised, there is ample scope for the exercise of the reasoning faculty. Looked at, too, from the merely physical side, language is educational. For it is the product of a machine, whose mechanism and working must be observed; a machine which is incorporated with the operator, and whose operation at once responds to that which affects him. It may be noted, further, that the study of English is of interest and profit, not only because much of the material that has to be observed is literature of the noblest kind, but also because the student may carry on his studies among the homelier varieties of speech which are to be found still living in all parts of the country. It is a study that offers a wide field in which to exercise the faculties of the mind, and which abounds with objects of interest on which to exercise them. If the present sketch can suggest to a student the interest which belongs to the history of the language, or can help one who feels that interest, by providing the outlines which further work of his own may enable him to fill in, it will have been worth making. For hitherto our vulgar tongue has scarcely received the consideration it deserves; and not altogether without excuse would those in England be, who should sympathise with the great Italian, when he speaks of the esteem in which by some was held the vulgar tongue he himself used. Dante, denouncing the ill-conditioned men of Italy that scorned their own vulgar tongue,' says: 'Forasmuch as with that measure a man measures himself he measures the things that are his, it befalls that to the magnanimous his own things ever appear better than they are, those of others less good; the pusillanimous ever thinks his own things worth little, those of others much. Whence many through this baseness scorn their proper vulgar tongue, and esteem that of others; and all such as these are the abominable caitiffs of Italy, that hold of no account this noble vulgar tongue.' English, quite as much as the Italian of Dante, deserves to be called 'a noble vulgar tongue,' and if in this little book its history is not shewn to be a subject which will repay the labours of the student, the failure is certainly not to be laid to the charge of the subject. November, 1900. T. N. T. CONTENTS The history of a language a record of change - self-adjusting character of language — inevitability of change-views of some English writers on the possibility of arresting change-different kinds of change illustrated connection between names and things - illustrations from English — metaphorical language — development of that part of the vocabulary which expresses abstract ideas - change of form in Relation to one another, and to the common original, of languages which have had a common source - England and America — the languages of modern Europe — their likeness — likeness due to borrowing — likeness due to common origin the case of the Romance languages — regular differences between Latin and English worked out -the case of the two languages parallel to that of the Romance languages -the light hence thrown upon English by Latin - other languages may be associated with English - further knowledge of English which is thus gained — other languages may be associated with Latin—the Aryan family—the classification of the Germanic or Teutonic group its oldest monuments the likeness of their vocabularies illustrated -light thrown by languages on the condition of those who spoke them a Roman province results as regards language — contrast with Gaul Latin of the First Period — relations between Celts and English — origin of the word Wales-the Celtic stock-earliest borrowings The Saxon Shore-the Saxons as seamen - their character in the fifth century abandonment of sea-faring life after settlement in Britain - influence of the earlier life to be seen in Old English - words denot- ing water, ships, seamen, sea-faring-inference from such words- Teutonic conquests in Britain - Bede's account notices in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - bearing of these upon language-possi- bility of other tribes than those mentioned by Bede having taken part in the conquest— the Angles give the name to the language and the The position of the Teutons in Britain secured before the end of the 6th century. the coming of Christianity to England its spread - a measure of its influence on the language — learning in England before the end of the 8th century-libraries — learning among the Celts and its relation to the English - the decay of learning in the 9th century described by Alfred—his attempts to promote education - revival of learning in the 10th century - Dunstan Elfric- Latin charters- absence of foreign material in the language before the Norman Con- quest- the larger knowledge of the English due to Christianity — Learning in England - the Latin authors chiefly studied were the Christian writers-Latin of the Second Period- Latin-English hybrids - the Latin element, except in special classes of words, really small-changed conditions of life implied by some of the Latin words expansion of the native language — parallel Latin and English words - contrast |