Isn’t it strange how English is so complicated? Japanese and Korean may be considered an impossibility to the average American, but at least they have a (mostly) consistent alphabet. English grammar rules seem to change with every word and sentence. Is it so difficult to stay consistent, English? With loanwords from French, Latin, German, Norman, et cetera: it's no wonder this language is so complicated.
Pronunciation also changes with each word, take "colonel" and "colony" for example. "Colonel'' is pronounced like "kernel” while "colony" is just "coloni." English receives the word “colonel” from the French “coronel” while “colony” comes from the Latin “colonia.” Indeed, the many issues of English comes from the fact that it is constructed from so many other languages, oftentimes defunct in modern day. 65% of the English comes from French and Greco-Latin origins, ironic that the English invaded and fought the French for 100 years when more than half of their vocabulary comes from them.
The true beginnings of English lie in the Anglo-Saxon language brought by Germanic people’s migrations to the British Isles in the fifth century. If one read’s “Beowulf” or one of the gospels translated into Old English it is evident that Anglo-Saxon shares as much similarity to modern day English as German or Dutch does (that is to say, there is a technical relation but no shared understanding among the different languages). For example, here is an Old English excerpt, try your best to guess where it’s from (hint, it’s spoken every Sunday):
“Fæder ure şu şe eart on heofonum,
sIşin nama gehalgod.
to becume şin rice,
gewurşe ğin willa,
on eorğan swa swa on heofonum.”
Easy right? After all, modern English is its direct descendent. Yes, you’re correct, it’s the Lord’s Prayer!
On a more serious note, it is evident that Old English is completely incomprehensible to the modern day English speaker and its ancestral role is that of a sort of starting point for English. English started to become more recognizable after the Norman Conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066, which introduced French/Norman words to the Anglo-Saxon vocabulary. In fact, nobles and those educated spoke Anglo-Norman to distinguish themselves from the barbaric Germanic Anglo-Saxon peasants they ruled over. Eventually, however, the two vocabularies intermingled to produce what is now known as Middle English. Middle English is much more recognizable to the modern English speaker than the purely Germanic Anglo-Saxon lexicon. Here is the same Lord’s Prayer excerpt in Middle English:
“Oure fadir şat art in heuenes
halwid be şIname;
şIreume or kyngdom come to be.
Be şIwille don
in herşe as it is dounin heuene.”
Doesn’t look familiar at all? Well keep in mind the pronunciation of those words were completely different back then and may have been somewhat comprehensible to the modern English speaker. For example, that “u” in “heuenes” would have been pronounced like a “v”: “hevenes” which sounds similar to the modern word “heaven.” The word “oure” (our), “art” (are), “kyngdom” (kingdom), and “wille” (will) are somewhat tangible to the modern-day English speaker and the grammatical structure is completely different from Old English, resembling our modern grammar much more.
The Renaissance and Enlightenment brought new Greek and Latin words into English, with most English intellectuals publishing in Latin (Isaac Newton published all his major scientific findings in Latin, it seems even he couldn't stand English). The King James Version of Bible (1611), mass-published throughout the Kingdom and in-use at every Anglican church, standardized the English language and the works of Shakespeare serve as a great example of early-modern poetry. Here is the same Lord’s Prayer excerpt found in the King James Bible:
“Our father which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
in earth as it is in heaven.”
Keep in mind back then all the v’s were still u’s so it would have been “heauen” instead of “heaven.” Shakespeare, as beautifully complex as he could make his rhyme, is still mostly understandable to the modern reader and the KJV Bible is one of the most used translations of the Bible today. The British Empire and the development of modern dictionaries in the 18th and 19th centuries finalized the standardization of English into the language we have today.
Other than what was mentioned above, the history of England can be summarized as: the native Celtic inhabitants were conquered by the Romans, the Romans and Celts were conquered by the Anglo-Saxons, the Anglo-Saxons fought invading Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings in Britain were eventually conquered by William the Conqueror of Normandy, then finally of Henry II from Anjou in France. The English spent the rest of their time skirmishing with the French counties who gave them additional loanwords. Finally, after all those invasions which brought their languages, plus Greek and Latin from intellectuals, the modern English language was born.
I’m sick of it: I’m sick of following all these grammatical rules from all these different languages in what is supposed to be its own unique language and I’m sick of pronouncing the same combination of three letters completely differently based on the original language it’s from. Therefore, from now on, I will exclusively use grammatical rules and words from the original Anglo-Saxon tongue, no more of this Latin, Celtic, Norse, Norman, or French in my language. Starting with this article, I will write with a new, or should I say old, language: one that only uses words originating in Germanic or Anglo-Saxon language.
I present to you, Anglish. Anglish has been a project for many years now by like minded people who want foreign (continental European) influences out of my language. The superiority of the Anglish tongue will be demonstrated, starting with this article. I found an online Anglish translator which will turn modern amalgamation English into pure Germanic Anglish: words that only exist from Romance loanwords will be given appropriate substitutes. For example, “scientist” (Latin loanword) becomes “loreman” and “lion” (Norman loanword) becomes “lewcat.” It’s not perfect, there are some words that occasionally slip through the cracks, but it’s better than nothing.
Without further ado, here is my whole, improved, thing in the Anglish language (Without further ado, here is my entire, improved, article in the Anglish tongue):
Isn’t it outlandish how English is so knotty? Japanese and Korean may be considered a impossibility to the mean American, but at least they have a mostly weenly futhorc. English speechcraft rules seem to shift with every word and doom. Is it so hard to belive weenly, English? with loanwords from French, Latin, Deutsch, Norman, et cetera: it's no wonder this tongue is so complicated.
It also seems that our wordway changes with each word, take "colonel" and "colony" for likething. "Colonel'' is pronounced like "kernel” while "colony" is barely "coloni". English receives the word “colonel” from the French “coronel” while “colony” comes from the Latin “colonia”. Indeed, the many issues of English comes from the truth that it is constructed from so many other languages, oftentimes defunct in newfangled day. 65% of the English comes from French and Greco-Latin roots, ironic that the English invaded and fought the French for 100 years when more than half of their wordhoard comes from them.
The true beginnings of English lie in the Anglo-Saxon tongue brought by Germanish people’s migrations to the british isles in the fifth yearhundred. If one reads “Beowulf” or one of the Gospels translated into Old English it is abere that Anglo-Saxon shares as much similarity to newfangled day English as Deutsch or Dutch does (that is to say, there is a craftly relation but no shared understanding among the other languages) for likething, here is a Old English outpull, mint your best to guess where it’s from (hint: it’s spoken every Sunday):
“Fæder ure şu şe eart on heofonum
si, şin nama gehalgod.
to becume şin rice
gewurşe, ğin willa
on, eorğan swa swa on heofonum”
Easy right? After all, newfangled English is its lead descendent. Yes, you’re right, it’s the Lord’s bead.
On a more earnest log, it is abere that Old English is outright incomprehensible to the newfangled day English speaker and its ancestral playwork is that of a sort of starting token for English. English started to become more recognizable after the Norman overwin by William the Conqueror in 1066, which introduced French/Norman words to the Anglo-Saxon wordhoard. in truth, nobles and those learned spoke Anglo-Norman to makeout themselves from the barbaric Germanish Anglo-Saxon peasants they ruled over. in time, however, the two vocabularies intermingled to handiwork what is now known as Middle English. Middle English is much more recognizable to the newfangled English speaker than the purely Germanish Anglo-Saxon wordhoard here is the same lord’s bead outpull in Middle English:
“Oure fadir şat craft in heuenes
halwid be şIname;
şIreume or kyngdom come to be.
be şIwille don
in herşe as it is dounin heuene”
Doesn’t look couth at all? Well keep in mind the wordway of those words were outright other back then and may have been somewhat comprehensible to the newfangled English speaker. For likething, that “u” in “heuenes” would have been pronounced like a “v”: “hevenes” which sounds alike to the newfangled word “heaven”. The word “oure” (our) “art” (are) “kyngdom” (kingdom) and “wille” (will) are somewhat tangible to the modern-day English speaker and the grammatical makeup is outright other from Old English, seem liking our newfangled speechcraft much more
The and Blowing and Enlightenment brought new greek and Latin words into English, with most English intellectuals uttering in Latin (Isaac Newton published all his higher wisdomly findings in Latin, it seems even he couldn't stand English) the King James strain of Bible (1611) mass-published throughout the kingdom and in-use at every Anglican church, standardized the English tongue and the works of shakespeare bestead as a great likething of early-modern dighting. here is the same lord’s bead outpull ground in the King James bible:
“Our father which craft in heaven
hallowed, be thy name.
thy kingdom come.
thy will be done
in earth as it is in heaven”
Keep in mind back then all the v’s were still u’s so it would have been “heauen” instead of “heaven”. Shakespeare, as beautifully manifold as he could make his rime, is still mostly understandable to the newfangled reader and the KJV bible is one of the most used translations of the bible today. the british richdom and the growing of newfangled wordbooks in the 18th and 19th centuries finalized the standardization of English into the tongue we have today.
Other than what was mentioned above, the yore of england can be summarized as: the homely celtic inhabitants were conquered by the Romans, the Romans and celts were conquered by the Anglo-Saxons, the Anglo-Saxons fought infaling vikings, Anglo-Saxons and vikings in britain were in time conquered by William the Conqueror of Normandy, then at last of Henry II from Anjou in Frankland. The English spent the rest of their time skirmishing with the French counties who gave them bycoming loanwords. At last, after all those invasions which brought their languages, and greek and Latin from intellectuals, the newfangled English tongue was born.
I’m sick of it: I’m sick of following all these grammatical rules from all these other languages in what is supposed to be its own oneoff tongue and i’m sick of saing the same binding of three letters outright otherwise based on the ere tongue it’s from. Therefore, from now on, I will exclusively brook grammatical rules and words from the ere Anglo-Saxon tongue, no more of this Latin, Celtic, Norse, Norman, or French in my tongue. Starting with this thing, I will write with a new, or should I say old, language: one that only uses words steing in Germanish or Anglo-Saxon tongue.
I show to you, Anglish. Anglish has been a undertaking for many years now by like minded folk who want outlandish (continental european) influences out of my tongue. The overlaying of the Anglish tongue will be demonstrated, starting with this thing. I ground a online Anglish translator which will wend newfangled amalgamation English into clean Germanish Anglish: words that only live from lovetale loanwords will be given befitting substitutes. For likething, “scientist” (Latin loanword) becomes “loreman” and “lion” (Norman loanword) becomes “lewcat”. It’s not hone, there are some words that every now and then slip through the cracks, but it’s better than nothing.
