English, Past and Present: Five Lectures |
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Page 7
... sound plausible enough ; and I can quite understand a real lover of his native tongue , supposing he had not bestowed much thought upon the subject , arguing in this manner . And yet indeed such argument proceeds altogether on a mistake ...
... sound plausible enough ; and I can quite understand a real lover of his native tongue , supposing he had not bestowed much thought upon the subject , arguing in this manner . And yet indeed such argument proceeds altogether on a mistake ...
Page 30
... sound of church bells , which the convert hardly knows how he can forego . Its felicities often seem to be almost things rather than mere words . It is part of the national mind , and the anchor of national seriousness . The of the dead ...
... sound of church bells , which the convert hardly knows how he can forego . Its felicities often seem to be almost things rather than mere words . It is part of the national mind , and the anchor of national seriousness . The of the dead ...
Page 32
... sound and genuine English at work in our translators , whether they were conscious of it or not , which hindered them from sending the Scrip- tures to their fellow - countrymen dressed out in a semi - Latin garb . The Reformation ...
... sound and genuine English at work in our translators , whether they were conscious of it or not , which hindered them from sending the Scrip- tures to their fellow - countrymen dressed out in a semi - Latin garb . The Reformation ...
Page 129
... sound suggested first this sense , and then this spelling . Thus Stanihurst , Description of Ireland , p . 28 : They are taken for no better than rakehels , or the devil's black guard ; " and often elsewhere . - Let me observe before ...
... sound suggested first this sense , and then this spelling . Thus Stanihurst , Description of Ireland , p . 28 : They are taken for no better than rakehels , or the devil's black guard ; " and often elsewhere . - Let me observe before ...
Page 161
... sounds ; how unlike what the chivalrous soldier would have uttered ; or what one might have supposed Shakespeare , even with his unworthy estimate of the noble warrior Maid , would have put into his mouth . But a ' miscreant ' in ...
... sounds ; how unlike what the chivalrous soldier would have uttered ; or what one might have supposed Shakespeare , even with his unworthy estimate of the noble warrior Maid , would have put into his mouth . But a ' miscreant ' in ...
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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.