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    Reading Notes 5.2

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    Briar Rose
    The document summarizes the origins and diffusion of the major branches of the Indo-European language family, with a focus on English and related languages. It discusses the theories around a common ancestral Proto-Indo-European language and traces the development of languages like English from their Germanic roots combined with Latin influences. Key points covered include the origins and spread of the major Indo-European branches like Romance, Germanic, Balto-Slavic, and Indic languages across Afro-Eurasia over the past few millennia.

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    Reading Notes 5.2

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    Briar Rose
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    The document summarizes the origins and diffusion of the major branches of the Indo-European language family, with a focus on English and related languages. It discusses the theories around a common ancestral Proto-Indo-European language and traces the development of languages like English from their Germanic roots combined with Latin influences. Key points covered include the origins and spread of the major Indo-European branches like Romance, Germanic, Balto-Slavic, and Indic languages across Afro-Eurasia over the past few millennia.

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    The document summarizes the origins and diffusion of the major branches of the Indo-European language family, with a focus on English and related languages. It discusses the theories around a common ancestral Proto-Indo-European language and traces the development of languages like English from their Germanic roots combined with Latin influences. Key points covered include the origins and spread of the major Indo-European branches like Romance, Germanic, Balto-Slavic, and Indic languages across Afro-Eurasia over the past few millennia.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    44 views4 pages

    Reading Notes 5.2

    Uploaded by

    Briar Rose
    The document summarizes the origins and diffusion of the major branches of the Indo-European language family, with a focus on English and related languages. It discusses the theories around a common ancestral Proto-Indo-European language and traces the development of languages like English from their Germanic roots combined with Latin influences. Key points covered include the origins and spread of the major Indo-European branches like Romance, Germanic, Balto-Slavic, and Indic languages across Afro-Eurasia over the past few millennia.

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    You are on page 1of 4

    Ch.

    5 Languages
    Key Issue 2: Where Did English and Related Languages Originate and Diffuse?
    Rubenstein, p.154-163

    1. Nearly ______________ of the world’s population speaks a language belonging to the


    Indo-European language family.

    I. DISTRIBUTION OF INDO-EUROPEAN BRANCHES

    2. Of the eight branches of the Indo-European Family, four are widely spoken:

    3. a. Make and label a diagram illustrating the language groups and individual languages of the
    Germanic Branch.

    b. Before 1000 CE, the principal language spoken throughout Scandinavia was Old Norse. How/why
    did four separate languages develop from Old Norse?

    4. a. List the five most widely spoken Romance languages.

    b. Why did these develop separately?

    5. a. Which branch of the Indo-European family has the most speakers?

    b. Make and label a diagram illustrating key language groups and individual languages in this branch.
    Additionally, take notes on key facts including where it is spoken and what alphabet is used.

    c. Other important notes regarding languages in India:


    6. a. Languages in the Balto-Slavic Branch are found primarily in ____________________.

    b. The four groups in the Balto-Slavic Branch are:

    c. The most widely spoken language in this branch is ________________, from the

    _________________ group.

    d. Remember this—this is a common act on the part of many governments, not just Russia. Why did
    the Soviet Union force native speakers of other languages to speak in Russian?

    e. Why did people in Eastern European countries learn Russian as a second language?

    f. Identify common languages in the West Slavic group:

    g. Identify common languages in the South Slavic group. Why are these languages, which were once
    very similar to each other, becoming increasingly different today?

    7. What alphabet does English use?

    II. ORIGIN AND DIFFUSION OF INDO-EUROPEAN

    8. Why is it that the origin of language branches, groups, and individual languages can be documented,
    but language families cannot?

    9. From what language did all Romance languages descend? Why Are they called “Romance”
    languages?

    10. Define Vulgar Latin:

    11. Outline the origin and diffusion of Romance Languages from ancient times thru the 15th century.

    12. What evidence suggests a common language origin for all languages in the Indo-European family?

    13. What is the name of the (theoretical) common ancestral language for all languages discussed in this
    key issue of the chapter?
    13. a. Contrast the two theories of the origin of this language in the table below.

    Nomadic Warrior Theory Sedentary Farmer Theory


    (Kurgan Conquest Theory) (Anatolian/Agriculture Theory)
    By Marija Gimbutas By Colin Renfrew, Russell D. Gray

    Where? Where?

    Time frame? Time frame?

    Who are the Kurgans? Who are the Anatolians?

    How did they diffuse this language? How did they diffuse this language?

    b. Which hypothesis appeals more to you: the “war” or the “peace” hypothesis? Why?

    III. ORIGIN AND DIFFUSION OF ENGLISH

    14. a. What three European peoples originally came together to form the English people and English
    language? And, where did these people come from?

    b. What two subsequent invasions added additional words to the evolving English language?

    c. Although classified in Germanic branch, English actually has a higher percentage of romance
    branch words. How/why?

    15. How did English become so widely diffused? Give specific examples.

    16. Identify each of the following:

    a. Franglais –

    b. Spanglish –

    c. Denglish –
    17. Good to know/remember: “Deutsch” does not refer to the Dutch/people from the Netherlands.

    Rather, “Duetsch” = ________________________________________________________.

    IV. GLOBAL IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH

    18. The most important language of international communication is __________________.

    19. a. Define a lingua franca:

    b. Where did this term originate?

    c. Identify four modern lingua francas and the countries/regions in which they are spoken:

    d. Often, governments will adopt a lingua franca as an official language even though a majority of
    its people cannot speak it. Why?

    20. a. Define pidgin language:

    b. A pidgin language has no ______________________________________________.

    21. Rubenstein argues that many Americans fail to recognize the importance of learning other
    languages. Why is learning other languages important?

    22. a. How has the rise of the Internet impacted the dominance of English?

    b. What change was made in 2009 regarding internet addresses?

    23. Define logograms and explain how Chinese writing is different from phonetic alphabets (such as the
    English alphabet).

    V. OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

    24. English is the official language in ____________ countries. English is not the official language in the
    U.S., U.K., and Australia, but it is the de facto national language—what does this mean?

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