The document provides a linguistic analysis of the traditional Rapunzel story and Disney's Tangled film script. It analyzes differences in lexis, semantics and grammar between the original 1812 story and the modern adaptation. Key differences noted include the replacement of archaic words like "tresses" and "ells" with more modern terms, less frequent use of figurative language, and shorter sentences in the Disney version compared to the original story. The analysis also identifies new words and meanings that have emerged since the 1800s through processes like compounding, borrowing, and contraction. Some language theorists view changes between the versions critically as a "decay" or simplification of language over time.

1. Linguistic breakdown of my
investigation texts.

2. Traditional Rapunzel Story - Lexis
• Rapunzel had magnificent long hair, fine as spun gold, and when she heard the voice of the enchantress, she
unfastened her braided tresses, wound them round one of the hooks of the window above, and then the hair fell
twenty ells down, and the enchantress climbed up by it.
• Thus he roamed about in misery for some years, and at length came to the desert where Rapunzel, with the twins to
which she had given birth, a boy and a girl, lived in wretchedness
• There were once a man and a woman who had long, in vain, wished for a child. At length it appeared that God was
about to grant their desire.
Archaisms like ‘thus’, ‘tresses’ and ‘ells’ which were used in this version, are no longer used in modern English,
therefore would be inappropriate to use in a Disney fairy tale in this present day. The adverb ‘thus’ which
originated from Old English back in the year 900 has various meanings including ‘in this way’ and
‘consequently’ but has now gone out of fashion. ‘Tresses’ was a noun to describe ‘plaits’ or ‘braids’ yet these
alternatives are nowadays more commonly used by children. As a result ‘plaits’ was used for ‘Tangled’ instead.
‘Ell’ was a former measurement of length but is no longer used in the English language. Trudgill says changes
such as these are an inevitable process and as society and people change, so does the language. Therefore
changes like these are not negative nor positive. Moreover some terms may still be used, just not as much. At
the beginning of the Grimm’s version the noun ‘God’ is used. As the type of generation they lived in was
perhaps more religious than it is nowadays, it would explain why ‘God’ is only mentioned in the original story.

3. Traditional Rapunzel Story - Semantics
• At twilight, he clambered down over the wall into the garden of the enchantress, hastily clutched a handful
of rampion, and took it to his wife. She at once made herself a salad of it, and ate it greedily. It tasted so
good to her - so very good, that the next day she longed for it three times as much as before.
• The king's son wanted to climb up to her, and looked for the door of the tower, but none was to be found.
He rode home, but the singing had so deeply touched his heart, that every day he went out into the forest
and listened to it.
• At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man, such as her eyes had never yet beheld, came to her;
but the king's son began to talk to her quite like a friend, and told her that his heart had been so stirred that
it had let him have no rest, and he had been forced to see her.
The noun ‘enchantress’ was used to describe a woman who practises magic. Clearly this word is still used for this
meaning today, however the meaning may have broadened as it can now also mean an irresistible or charming
woman.
It is clear that figurative language was more apparent in the original story compared to the Disney version. In
the Grimm’s version of Rapunzel figurative expressions including the metaphors ‘touched his heart’ and ‘his
heart had been so stirred’ were used. This type of figurative language is still used today, especially in literacy and
poetry. However it may be less common to find in a modern children’s fairy tale.

4. Traditional Rapunzel Story - Grammar
• 'How can you dare,' said she with angry look, 'descend into my garden and steal my rampion like a thief? You
shall suffer for it!'
• 'Ah,' answered he, 'let mercy take the place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it out of necessity. My
wife saw your rampion from the window, and felt such a longing for it that she would have died if she had
not got some to eat.'
• These people had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen,
which was full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no
one dared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by
all the world.
While reading the Grimm’s story of Rapunzel, it is clear to see how word order has changed significantly over
the past two centuries. Some interrogatives didn’t include auxiliary verbs and were formed with a verb at the
start.
Since 1700, sentences have also become shorter – another example of the language becoming simpler.
Although Grimm’s Rapunzel was written and published in 1812, there is still evidence within the story to show
more complicated sentences. For instance the sentence shown above includes subordinate clauses which are
less commonly used today.

5. Disney Film Script of ‘Tangled’ - Lexis
• F: Ugh! Come on, fleabag, forward!
• [St lower F to steal crown. A guard sneezes]
F: Oh. Hay fever?
• F: Wow! I could get used to a view like this.
St: Rider! C’mon!
• G: Okay, Rapunzel, please, stop with the mumbling. You know how I feel about the mumbling–blah-blah-blah-blah,
it’s very annoying
• R: Well, I do like duckling.
F: YAY!
I was able to identify a range of neologisms from the newer Disney version of Rapunzel through a range of
different processes. Some of the examples of compounding I discovered were ‘line-up’, ‘fleabag’ and
‘overprotective’. Scientific progress through the means and advances in medicine and technologies have also
caused some new words to be created which made an appearance in the ‘Tangled’ version such as ‘hay fever’ and
‘interior design’. All of these words did not exist before the early 1800s when the Grimm’s version of Rapunzel was
published. Another method, regarding how new words are created, is borrowing. Yet, some of the words I
discovered may have not been exactly borrowed by other countries but instead were influenced by them. For
example, the noun ‘blah’ may have perhaps been influenced by the French term ‘blasé’ meaning bored and
indifferent. Words like ‘C’mon’ was created through contraction and ‘Yay’ through alteration. Some of this words
are also examples of slang.

6. Disney Film Script of ‘Tangled’ - Semantics
• G: Rapunzel! I’ll see you in a bit, my flower.
R: I’ll be here.
• G: The outside world is a dangerous place, filled with horrible, selfish people. You must stay here, where
you’re safe. Do you understand, flower?
Young R:Yes mommy.
• R: But–
G: Shh! Trust me, pet
Mother knows best
I discovered that words that are nowadays used as slang obviously have more meanings. The nouns
‘pet’ and ‘flower’ are used by Mother Gothel when she talks to Rapunzel to express fondness or
affection. As these terms are so widely used today, even younger audiences which whom this film is
aimed at will be able to understand that the character doesn’t mean the literal meaning. However,
these changes are not considered positive by some theorists. Guy Deutscher, a prescriptivist, believes
language changed is bad as it is leading children in today’s generation to not being able to speak or
write correctly. By watching movies such as those created by Disney could therefore be worrying for
children because of the slang they include as they are not sticking to the standard form of the language.

7. Disney Film Script of ‘Tangled’ - Grammar
• F: All right, listen, I didn’t want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. Here comes the ‘smoulder’.
[R & Pascal: stern look]
This is kind of an off day for me. This doesn’t normally happen.
• R: She would be heartbroken, you’re right.
F: I am, aren’t I? Oh bother.
• R: Whoa! Okay, I don’t know where I am, and I need him to take me to see the lanterns because I’ve been
dreaming about them my entire life! Find your humanity! Haven’t any of you ever had a dream?
• Hook: See, I ain’t as cruel and vicious as I seem!
There is an example of the contraction ‘can’t’ used in the Grimm’s version yet there were significantly more
recorded in the Disney script such as ‘you’ve’, ‘don’t’, ‘aren’t, ‘you’re’ and ‘we’re’. In some ways this is
becoming alarmingly similar to the type of views expressed within the language decay theory. This theory
suggest that more and more people are becoming careless about their speech and are therefore becoming
lazy, resulting in a much more ‘simple’ language. Writers including Jonathan Swift have also said that
contractions like these are corrupting the language so people in the future are less likely to understand.
These are all negative views towards the way this language is changing.