Where did English come from? - Claire Bowern

What is the main topic discussed at the beginning of the script?

• A. How English developed over time
  

• B. The similarities between English and Latin
  

• C. The dialects of modern languages
  

• D. The influence of Chaucer's writings

(0:23) How has English changed over time?

• A. By becoming more similar to modern German
  

• B. Through evolution over generations of speakers
  

• C. By staying mostly the same since its origin
  

• D. By replacing all borrowed vocabulary with original words

(0:55) The Norman invasion of England in ______ brought many French and Latin words into English.

(0:55) Why did the Norman invasion significantly impact the English language?

• A. The Normans forced everyone to stop speaking English.
  

• B. The ruling class brought their French-speaking culture into England.
  

• C. Old English was already a mixture of many languages.
  

• D. The Normans replaced the Anglo-Saxon kings.

(1:13) Which language is Beowulf originally written in?

• A. Latin
  

• B. French
  

• C. Old English
  

• D. Old Norse

(1:13) ______ is the language in which the epic poem Beowulf was written.

(1:27) What were the origins of the Anglo-Saxon language?

• A. Old Norse influences
  

• B. French-speaking Normans
  

• C. Germanic dialects from the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes
  

• D. Latin derivatives

  Answer:

(2:03) After the 6th century, German words starting with "p" shifted to ______ in Old High German, while Old English kept the "p" sound.

(2:20) Why do some English words like “skirt” and “skull” still have the "sk" sound?

• A. They are original Proto-Germanic words.
  

• B. They were borrowed from Old Norse after the "sk" to "sh" shift.
  

• C. They were directly borrowed from Latin.
  

• D. They were introduced during the Norman invasion.

(2:33) What does the shared ancestry of English, Swedish, and German suggest?

• A. These languages share a direct lineage from Proto-Germanic.

• B. English evolved directly from Swedish and German.

• C. Latin played an equal role in shaping all three languages.

• D. Swedish and German replaced Old English completely.