English, Past and Present: Five Lectures |
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Page 84
... female Christian name by a slight difference in spelling is quite of modern introduction ; it was formerly nearly as often Sir Frances Drake as Sir Francis , while Fuller ( Holy State , b . iv . c . 14 ) speaks of Francis Bran- don ...
... female Christian name by a slight difference in spelling is quite of modern introduction ; it was formerly nearly as often Sir Frances Drake as Sir Francis , while Fuller ( Holy State , b . iv . c . 14 ) speaks of Francis Bran- don ...
Page 85
... female dealers in unlawful magical arts . Simon Magus , for example , and Elymas are both ' witches , ' in Wiclif's New Testament ( Acts viii . 9 ; xiii . 8 ) , and Posthumus in Shakespeare : but when the medieval Latin , sortiarius ...
... female dealers in unlawful magical arts . Simon Magus , for example , and Elymas are both ' witches , ' in Wiclif's New Testament ( Acts viii . 9 ; xiii . 8 ) , and Posthumus in Shakespeare : but when the medieval Latin , sortiarius ...
Page 136
... female termination which we employ in certain words , such as from ' heir ' ' heiress , ' from ' prophet ' ' prophetess , ' from ' sorcerer ' ' sorceress , ' was once far more widely extended than it now is ; the words which retain it ...
... female termination which we employ in certain words , such as from ' heir ' ' heiress , ' from ' prophet ' ' prophetess , ' from ' sorcerer ' ' sorceress , ' was once far more widely extended than it now is ; the words which retain it ...
Page 137
... female chider , ' herdess , ' ' constabless , ' ' moveress , ' ' soudaness ' ( = sultana ) , ' guideress ; charmeress ' ( all in Chaucer ) ; and others , which however we may have now let them fall , reached to far later periods of the ...
... female chider , ' herdess , ' ' constabless , ' ' moveress , ' ' soudaness ' ( = sultana ) , ' guideress ; charmeress ' ( all in Chaucer ) ; and others , which however we may have now let them fall , reached to far later periods of the ...
Page 138
... female . * ' Spinner , ' taking the feminine form of ' spinster , ' furnishes an excellent example of what I mean , and perhaps the only one in which both the forms still remain in use . merly however there were a vast number of these ...
... female . * ' Spinner , ' taking the feminine form of ' spinster , ' furnishes an excellent example of what I mean , and perhaps the only one in which both the forms still remain in use . merly however there were a vast number of these ...
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Common terms and phrases
adjectives adopted Æneid affirm altogether Anglo-Saxon become Ben Jonson Bishop black guard called causes century changes Chaucer Cheaper Edition Chimæra COMPOSITE LANGUAGE derived Dictionary doubt Dryden earlier early employed England English language English words etymology example exist express fact familiar female foreign words French words Fuller Gabriel Harvey gain German grammatical Greek guage Holland idioms instance introduction Italian Jeremy Taylor Jonson Latin language lecture letters living loss manner matter meaning merely Milton modern nation native never observe obsolete once original orthography passage perfuga period phrase Plautus Plutarch poems poet present pronunciation prose Quintilian remains RICHARD CHENEVIX TRENCH Saxon seeking sense Shakespeare shape sound speak speech spelling spelt Spenser spoken strong præterites substantive suppose survives syllable things tion tongue translation vast number verb Version vocables whole Wiclif Wiclif's Bible write written
Popular passages
Page 31 - By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Page 167 - That it may please Thee to give and preserve to our use the kindly fruits of the earth, so as in due time we may enjoy them ; We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.
Page 49 - Poets that lasting marble seek Must carve in Latin or in Greek; We write in sand, our language grows, And, like the tide, our work o'erflows.
Page 47 - Poetry requires ornament ; and that is not to be had from our old Teuton monosyllables : therefore, if I find any elegant word in a classic author, I propose it to be naturalized, by using it myself; and, if the public approves of it, the bill passes. But every man cannot distinguish between pedantry and poetry : every man, therefore, is not fit to innovate.
Page 74 - Yet it must be allowed to the present age, that the tongue in general is so much refined since Shakespeare's time, that many of his words, and more of his phrases, are scarce intelligible. And of those which we understand, some are ungrammatical, others coarse ; and his whole style is so pestered with figurative expressions, that it is as affected as it is obscure.
Page 109 - The persons plural keep the termination of the first person singular. In former times, till about the reign of king Henry the eighth, they were wont to be formed by adding en ; thus, loven, sayen, complainen. But now (whatsoever is the cause) it hath quite grown out of use, and that other so generally prevailed, that I dare not presume to set this afoot again : albeit (to tell you my opinion) I am persuaded that the lack hereof well considered will be found a great blemish to our tongue.
Page 117 - With dishes piled, and meats of noblest sort And savour, beasts of chase, or fowl of game, In pastry built, or from the spit, or boil'd, Gris-amber-steam'd ; all fish from sea or shore, Freshet or purling brook, of shell or fin, And exquisitest name, for which was drain'd Pontus, and Lucrine bay, and Afric coast.
Page 211 - Here thou, great ANNA ! whom three realms obey, Dost sometimes counsel take — and sometimes tea.