Лексикология английского языка

Parts of the human body: foot, nose, lip, heart.

Animals: cow, swine, goose.

Plants: tree, birch (ср. р. берёза), corn.

Time of day: day, night.

Heavenly bodies (небесные тела): sun, moon, star.

Numerous adjectives: red, new, glad, sad.

The numerals from one to a hundred.

Pronouns – personal (except they which is a Scandinavian borrowing); demonstrative.

Numerous verbs: be (ср. русск. быть), stand (стоять), sit (сидеть), eat (есть), know.


The Germanic element represents words of roots common to all or most Germanic languages. Some of the main groups of Germanic words are the same as in the Indo-European element.

1. 
   Parts of the human body: head, hand, arm, finger, bone.
   
2. 
   Animals: bear, fox, calf.
   
3. 
   Plants: oak, fir, grass.
   
4. 
   Natural phenomena: rain, frost.
   
5. 
   Seasons of the year: winter, spring, summer (autumn is a French borrowing).
   
6. 
   Landscape features: sea, land.
   
7. 
   Human dwellings and furniture: house, room, bench.
   
8. 
   Sea-going vessels: boat, ship.
   
9. 
   Adjectives: green, blue, grey, white, small, high, old, good.
   
10. 
    Verbs: see, hear, speak, tell, say, answer, make, drink.
    

* * *

It has been mentioned that the English proper element is opposed to the first two groups. These words are specifically English having no cognates in other languages whereas for Indo-European and Germanic words such cognates can always be found, e.g.:

Stand: German stehen, Latin stare, Russian стоять.

Here are some examples of English proper words. These words stand quite alone in the vocabulary system of Indo-European languages: bird, boy, girl, lord, lady, woman, daisy, always.

Answer these questions.

1. 
   How can you account for the fact that English vocabulary contains such an immense number of words of foreign origin?
   
2. 
   What is the earliest group of English borrowings? Date it.
   
3. 
   What Celtic borrowings are there in English? Date them.
   
4. 
   Which words were introduced into English vocabulary during the period of Christianization?
   
5. 
   What are the characteristic features of Scandinavian borrowings?
   
6. 
   When and under what circumstances did England become a bilingual country?
   
7. 
   What are the characteristic features of words borrowed into English during the Renaissance?
   
8. 
   What suffixes and prefixes can help you to recognize words of Latin and French origin?
   
9. 
   What is meant by the native element of English vocabulary?