Etymology

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Etymology

• The study of word origins

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Where do the words we use come from?

• English is a blend of words from many other
  languages
• These words made their way into the English
  language in many ways
• Occupation by other countries/cultures
• English occupation of other countries/cultures
• Brought by immigrants
• Cultural trends and fashions

The English language is always changing!
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Greek and Latin have had the biggest influence on
English.

• This influence started thousands of years ago

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The Mediterranean Sea
Med middle Terr land The Mediterranean Sea
is in the middle of the land where western
cultures developed.
The earliest western cultures were Greek and
Roman.
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Greek LanguageThe first western written language.
477 BC 149 BC
Alexander the Great was the Greek leader
responsible for the spread of the Greek Empire.
The Greeks had an empire that included the lands
bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Persia,
and Egypt. The Greek language and culture spread
throughout this region.
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Roman Influence
Latin was the language spoken in ancient Rome.
When the Romans conquered territoriesincluding
most of Europethey brought their language to
those territories. That is why there are so many
words in our language that have Latin roots.
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The Roman Empire
117 AD
Rome
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The Romance Languages
LATIN (Ancient Rome)?
Italian
French
Spanish
Portuguese
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The Roman Empire
44 BC 476 AD
Britain
Greece
Rome
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How Latin words got into English Language
The Roman Empire expanded into Britain,
bringing Latin
Latin words found their way into the Anglo-Saxon
language of the people in Ancient Britain
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How Latin words got into English Language
The Roman Empire expanded into Britain,
bringing Latin
Latin words found their way into the Anglo-Saxon
language of the people in Ancient Britain
For Example
Latin word stratum means layered road
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How Latin words got into English Language
The Roman Empire expanded into Britain,
bringing Latin
Latin words found their way into the Anglo-Saxon
language of the people in Ancient Britain
For Example
Stratum became straets in Anglo-Saxon
Latin word stratum means layered road
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How Latin words got into English Language
The Roman Empire expanded into Britain,
bringing Latin
Latin words found their way into the Anglo-Saxon
language of the people in Ancient Britain
For Example
Stratum became straets in Anglo-Saxon
Latin word stratum means layered road
Now called streets in modern English
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How Latin words got into English Language
The Roman Empire expanded into Britain,
bringing Latin
Latin words found their way into the Anglo-Saxon
language of the people in Ancient Britain
For Example
Stratum became straets in Anglo-Saxon
Latin word stratum means layered road
Now called streets in modern English
Miles of streets and roads were created. Mile
is from the Latin word mille, which means 1,000.
The Roman mile was measured as 1,000 paces.
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The English Language

• This is how English as we know it today evolved
  over the centuries, influenced by many other
  European languages.

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European Invasions of Britain
Anglians from the area that is now the
Netherlands invaded in 550 AD.
Vikings from Scandinavia invaded in 875 AD.
Finally, the Normans from northern France invaded
in 1066 AD. English language was banned by the
Normans.
All of these invaders brought their languages,
which influenced the English language. These
influences can be traced through etymology.
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Influence of the Catholic Church
1 AD 1950s
The Catholic Church was the official religion in
all of Europe until the 1500s. The official
language of the Catholic Church was Latin. So,
no matter what country, all services in the
Catholic Church were spoken in Latin. All
priests and church officials spoke Latin.
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Renaissance Influence
1400s- 1500s
Renaissance Rebirth

• During the Renaissance, educated people in Europe
  became interested in Ancient Greece.
• It was a time of expansion of knowledge in the
  areas of science, medicine, art and architecture.
  
• This is how many Greek word roots made their way
  into the English language, especially in these
  subject areas.

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The Influence Continues Today
Our language continues to show influences from
the Greek language, especially in the area of
science.
Latin continued to be a universally understood
language among the educated of Europe until the
1800s. The Catholic Church continued to use
Latin until the 1950s.
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England Becomes the Invader1600 - 1900
The stars indicate areas that were once colonies
of Britain, and where English was (and still is)
spoken.
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Why Should YOU Learn Word Roots?

• You will recognize word chunks in unfamiliar
  words and be able to narrow down the possible
  meaning of the word
• It will help you with vocabulary in many subject
  areas
• You will be better able to pronounce unfamiliar
  words
• You will become a better speller
• Since many languages have common roots to Latin
  and Greek, it makes learning a foreign language
  easier

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Some Common Roots
Can you think of words that contain these roots?
ortho straight
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Some Common Roots
Can you think of words that contain these roots?
ortho straight
dyna power
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Some Common Roots
Can you think of words that contain these roots?
ortho straight
dyna power
ann year
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Some Common Roots
Can you think of words that contain these roots?
ortho straight
dyna power
ann year
orb circle
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Some Common Roots
Can you think of words that contain these roots?
ortho straight
dyna power
ann year
orb circle
pop people
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Some Common Roots
Can you think of words that contain these roots?
ortho straight
dyna power
ann year
orb circle
pop people
struct build
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Some Common Roots
Can you think of words that contain these roots?
ortho straight
dyna power
ann year
orb circle
pop people
struct build
terr land
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Some Common Roots
Can you think of words that contain these roots?
ortho straight
dyna power
ann year
orb circle
pop people
struct build
terr land
alt high
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Some Common Roots
Can you think of words that contain these roots?
ortho straight
dyna power
ann year
orb circle
pop people
struct build
terr land
alt high
reg rule dom rule