Science and Education in Karakalpakstan issn 2181-9203 Science Magazine chief editor

Science and Education in Karakalpakstan. 2023 №2/1 ISSN 2181-9203 
256 
УДК 413.162 
LATIN AND GREEK BORROWINGS IN OLD ENGLISH 
 
Seytova D.U. 
Karakalpak state university named after Berdakh 
Summary:
This article is dedicated to the investigation of Latin and Greek borrowings in 
Old English. 
Keywords:
language,important,linguistic,situation,borrowing,classic literature,

influence 
The Latin language had a significant influence on the Old English language. The source of 
borrowings of the second period was in the greater degree classical Latin, than vulgar one in 
connection with dissemination in the West of the works of classical literature. [1;14].
The introduction of Christianity in England in 597 has played the important role in political 
and cultural life of the country and had serious linguistic consequences. It promoted borrowing of 
the Latin alphabet and creation of literary memorials mainly of religious contents. The new 
concepts and representations have appeared, and with them there were also new terms. Such 
situation resulted in borrowings of great amount of foreign elements from Latin language. Really, 
the active and advanced literature in England, as well as in all Europe not the poems created on 
themes of the Old German heroic epos, and Christian Myths but scientific prose received a wide 
circulation in that epoch. 
In spite of the fact that Elfrik was an educated man and acquired the Latin language, there is 
not great quantity of words borrowed from the Latin language in his works being the best samples 
of prose of the X centuries. The same is observed in other memorials of this period, in which 
original lexicon prevails over Latin. The inflow of Latin borrowings amplified much later as a 
result of Norman Conquest of England and in the greater degree as consequence of the Norman-
French secular, than Roman religious influence.
[2;57].
Espersen analyzes the reasons of comparative by small number of classical borrowings in 
the Old English language. The absence of living language contact referred to them in connection 
with that the Latin language was basically widespread among the limited number of missionaries 
and was applied mainly in written speech. [3;43].
With this argument Espersen is probably quite agree. There is nothing surprising that the 
quantities of foreign elements in the Old English language are insignificant, so as the use of the 
internal resources was characteristic of it before it resorts to borrowings in the large sizes.Espersen 
misses one more factor - significant part of borrowings of the second period represented terms of 
the religious content which was not expressing the important concept for national mass of that 
period.
Despite the presence of words of a religious 
origin (altar, creed, disciple,
temple), 
among 
classical borrowings prevail household lexicon and terms relating to the various spheres - belt, fox, 
castle, fan, fiddle, lake, lobster, mallows mortar, muscle, pool and etc. It testifies that it is 
impossible to reduce Latin borrowings of the second period to religious lexicon, as it is made by the 
majority of foreign linguists, and to connect Latin borrowings extremely to introduction of 
Christianity.
The household and scientific lexicon of Latin origin in the Old English period is 
investigated poorly in comparison with religious lexicon, which is at the center of attention of 
almost all considered works.

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