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![Middle English language
Degrees of comparison of adjectives
At this time suffix of comparative degree took some changes from
–ra > -re > -r > -er but sounded as [ ]ǝ
Superlative degree changed from
-ost > -est and some had mutation in roots
Old – elder – eldest
Long- lenger – lengest
Strong – stenger – stengest
Suppletive system of adjectives changed to more
modern English language form:
Gōd – bettre – best
Evel, ivel – werse, worse – werst, worst
Litel, lutel – lesse – lest
Michel, muchel – more – mest, most](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/random-130424085827-phpapp02/85/slide-9-320.jpg)
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презентация по истории английского языка по теме прилагательное как часть речи в истории английского языка
- 1. Прилагательное как частьречи в истории английского языка Дисциплина: История английского языка Московский Государственный Авиационный Институт Выполнил: студент группы 201 Боровик Ирина Игоревна Москва, 2011
- 2. History of adjectivesin English Language Germanic language and the Old English language System of 4 or 5 cases Period 1 Period 2 Period 3 Middle English language Reduction and weakening of unaccented syllables Early modern English language Simplification of language Period 4 Modern English language General grammatical standards of language
- 3. Germanic language andthe Old English language The distinguishing features of adjectives were then: • adjectives agree with gender, number and case of nouns; • double adjective declension: strong declension (indefinite) and weak declension (definite) • system of 4 or 5 cases
- 4. Germanic language andthe Old English language Strong declension (indefinite) Indefinite adjectives define nouns generally without special emphasis. There was the difference in suffix declension in stems of adjectives with -jă- and -jō-, -wă- and -wō-. Such adjectives in nominative case of masculine and neuter gender lost or changed their endings with the lapse of time from -jă- to -i- and then to -e- (swōtja>swōti>swēte, but swētum – in masculine and neuter gender in other cases) Some adjectives with stems -wă- and -wō- such as earu, nearuʒ were the same in all genders in nominative case, but changed according to rules in other cases earwe,ʒ nearwes ) CASE Masculine gender Neuter gender Feminine gender Nominative Genitive Dative Accusative Instrumental Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd Ʒōd singular plural Singular plural singular plural -es -u -ne -e -e -ra -um -e -es -um -e -u, - -ra -um -u, - -u, - -re -re -e, - -re -a -ra -um -a -um
- 5. Germanic language andthe Old English language Weak declension (definite) These adjectives define nouns which are known and distinguishable from others. There were demonstrative pronouns (sē – masculine, sēō – feminine, ƥӕt – neuter, ƥᾱ - plural) near definite adjectives and nouns too. Later these pronouns became articles – new grammar word form. sē Ʒōde mann – хороший человек sēō Ʒōde ewēn – хорошая женщина pӕt lytle bearn – малое дите CASE Masculine gender Neuter gender Feminine gender Nominative Genitive Dative/ Instrumental Accusative Ʒōda Ʒōdan Ʒōdan Ʒōdan Ʒōdan Ʒōdra Ʒōdum Ʒōdan Ʒōde Ʒōdan Ʒōdan Ʒōde Ʒōdan Ʒōdra Ʒōdum Ʒōdan Ʒōde Ʒōdan Ʒōdan Ʒōdan Ʒōdan Ʒōdra Ʒōdum Ʒōdan singular plural singular plural singular plural
- 6. Germanic language andthe Old English language Degrees of comparison of adjectives There were three degrees such as: positive, comparative ( with the suffix –ira, later changed to –ra), superlative (with the suffix –ist, later changed to -est). Some exceptions were with the suffix –ora, later changed to –ra and with the suffix –ost. Positive Comparative Superlative Meaning eald ealdira > ieldra ealdist > ieldest old earm earmra earmost poor The other system of adjective degree formation was suppletive system which joined together different roots of words having the same meaning. ōd – betera – betst =Ʒ good, better, best Yfel – wiersa – wierst = bad, worse, worst Lytel – lǣssa – l st =ǣ little, less, least
- 7. CASE Masculine gender Neuter gender Feminine gender All genders Nominative Genitive Dative Accusative singularplural singular plural singular plural singular plural Middle English language The simplification of declination started in XII century and the great changes took place in the second half of XIII century: • there were no differences between indefinite and definite types of adjectives, this difference moved to articles • nouns and adjectives lost grammatical category of gender • destruction of case system began Indefinite adjectives Definite adjectives XII CENTURYXIII CENTURY - -es -e -e - -es -e - - -re -re - - -es -en -en -e -re -en -e - -es -en - -e -re -en -e -e -re -en -e - -re -re - -e -en -en -en (neut. -e) -en -re -en -en -e -re -e -e -e -re -e -e -e -re -e -e -e -e -e -e -e -re -e -e
- 8. Middle English language XIVcentury Ending – re fell away and the only one suffix of adjectives in cases was unstressed –e. It helped to distinguish singular forms without endings such as short, wild, long from plural forms of indefinite adjectives: shorte, wilde, longe. XV century Ending –e fell away too as the last difference in forms of adjectives and as the last possibility to agree adjectives with nouns. Adjectives are invariant part of speech, except degrees of comparison which exist up to date.
- 9. Middle English language Degreesof comparison of adjectives At this time suffix of comparative degree took some changes from –ra > -re > -r > -er but sounded as [ ]ǝ Superlative degree changed from -ost > -est and some had mutation in roots Old – elder – eldest Long- lenger – lengest Strong – stenger – stengest Suppletive system of adjectives changed to more modern English language form: Gōd – bettre – best Evel, ivel – werse, worse – werst, worst Litel, lutel – lesse – lest Michel, muchel – more – mest, most
- 10. Early Modern Englishlanguage The Great Vowel Shift is one of the historical events marking the separation of Middle and Modern English, which took place mainly during the 15th century. English has continuously adopted foreign words, especially from Latin and Greek. During the Renaissance (1400's and 1500's) the Latin language became important in England especially in the church and in medicine. Thereby English acquired many Latin words in this period. English was further transformed by the spread of a standardized London- based dialect in government and administration and by the standardizing of printing. By the time of mid-late 16th century the language had become almost recognizable as Modern English. In 1604, the first English dictionary was published which was named as A Table Alphabeticall. It was monolingual English dictionary, created by Robert Cawdrey which was claimed purpose was "for the benefit and help of Ladies, Gentlewomen, or other unskillful persons". Standardization and Simplification began and came into the open in XV century. These process can be seen in changing forms of adjectives which became invariable part of speech.
- 11. Early Modern Englishlanguage Suppletive adjectives had changes in sounds and had some lexical changes. Some forms came into existence from the other roots (like bad forced out evil, which in modern English has the different meaning) but suppletion is retained as the essential quality of adjectives. Good – better – best Bad – worse – worst Much, many – more – most Little – less – least In Early Modern English appeared new type of adjectives named as polysyllabic adjectives such as beautiful, interesting and etc. New method of forming degree of comparison of adjectives was found according to the tendency in English grammar to use auxiliary words. Analytical forms of degree of comparison of polysyllabic adjectives were formed with the help of a generalized adjectives. Beautiful – more beautiful – the most beautiful Interesting – more interesting – the most interesting
- 12. Modern English language ModernEnglish has two methods of forming degrees of comparison of adjectives: Synthetical method ascending up to writing antiquity for short adjectives Analytical method ascending appeared at the end of the middle period of English language for polysyllabic adjectives History in practice Periods Positive Comparative Superlative Old English eald ealdira > ieldra ealdist > ieldest Middle English old elder eldest Modern English old older oldest
- 13. Periods Positive ComparativeSuperlative Old English ōdʒ betera betst Middle English gōd bettre best Modern English good better best Modern English language History in practice for suppletive adjectives
- 14. Modern English language Themain difference between Early Modern English and Late Modern English is vocabulary. Late Modern English has many more words, arising from two principal factors: firstly, the Industrial Revolution and technology created a need for new words; secondly, the British Empire at its height covered one quarter of the Earth's surface, and the English language adopted foreign words from many countries.
- 15. Citations 1.Arakin V. D.«Essays about a History of English language», 2007 2. Fennell B. A. «A History of English» 3.Smirnizkiy A. I. «Lectures about a History of English language», 2006 4.Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia