ENG 229 Final, Spring 2003

English 229 2nd Semester 2002-03 History of the English Language Prof. Kassim Shaaban FINAL EXAMINATION (June 10, 2003) (Two Hours) Answer the following four questions. 1. Match the terms on the left with the examples on the right. (27 points) Terms Examples 1. Acronym a. nylon 2. Echoic words b. ouch 3. Back-formation c. fruition 4. Transfer of meaning d. ad 5. Ejaculations e. understand 6. Words from names f. knight 7. Root creations g. knave 8. Amelioration h. hound 9. Semantic generalization i. overhead 10. Semantic specialization j. loud colors 11. Pejoration 1. foot the bill 12. Clipped form m. a break 13. Association of idea n. china 14. Synesthesia o. tail 15. Sound association p. laser 16. Shift from concrete to abstract q. meow 17, Compound r. boycott 18. One part of speech to another s. edit 2. Define 10 of the following 16 terms, and give examples of each: (25 points) a. Loan translation i. Register b. Semantic shift j. Voguish affixes c. Folk etymology k. Social dialect d. Folk etymology 1. Double negatives e. Pejoration m. Received pronunciation f. R-less speech n. Desexed language g. Blending o. Standard English h. Style p. World Englishes 3. “When two languages come in contact, mutual borrowing of words and expressions takes place. The nature and extent of borrowing depend on various factors --cultural, religious, military, and political -- that govern the contact between the two languages.” Explain this statement and give examples of borrowings into English from any language that you are familiar with. (20 points) 4. Answer two of the following questions. (28 points) i. What gives rise to euphemisms in languages all over the world? What topics seem to generate euphemistic language more than other topics? And why do euphemistic terms tend to be transient in nature? ii. Identify some of the major differences between the British and American dialects of English in pronunciation, spelling, and vocabulary. iii. Explain the new concept of “English as an International Language” and discuss its implications for the future and nature of the English language. iv. Explain the following statement: “Semantic change remains an inevitable continuous process in the development of all human languages.” > GOOD _LUCK