The Northern star, and constitutionalist. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1834-1837, 1836-01-23
Warren.
ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE
.. ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

! Translated from Adelung's Mithrdates.]
I The English language of the presen.
day is very degenerate daughter Of the
Teu,onic family. Its history commences
with the Anglo Saxons for very little OF
the language of their predecessors, the
ancient BrItons, the Cymbri, or Belges
and the Romans, is Incorporated with it.
On the invasion of the Angles and Sax
ems, united in A. ID. .45O, each Of their
dialects, which are very similar to each
other, became dominant the first in the
provinces north Of the Thames, and the
Saxon IN those south it. AT the estab-
ishment Of the heptarchy, the Saxon di-
alect with the Saxon kings gained the
precedence, and the dialect of the An
giles, which was clio ,ely allied to the then
existing Danish, was no longer used
The influence Of the Calico Romish mis-
sionaries upon the language-at least up
on that part Of it used in religion-Is also
worth remarking. In the years subse-
quent to 1877, new swarms Of Danes,
whose emigration is perhaps connected
with the wars Of Charles the Great, plant
ed themselves in England, and second
time introduced into the provinces of Nor
thumbelland, East Anglia and Mercia, Of
which they made themselves masters, a
Danish dialect, but different from that
brought from South Jutland by the An
giles. Under Canute the Great and his
two SUCCESSORS, the Danish became the
court language, and the other provinces
became Of necessity accustomed to it.
When Edward the Confessor mounted
the throne, the Saxon language came a.
gain into general use, but the old west
Saxon mingled with the Danish still re-
NAMED. 1t is to be regretted that we
have so few remnants Of the first or pure
Anglo Saxon period. On the other hand
the remains Of the second Danish-Saxon
period, which we uniformly confound with
the Anglo Saxon, are extremely copious.
| Under Edward the Confessor, who was
educated at Normandy, and who brought
with him multitude Of courtiers on his
ascent to the throne, the corrupt French
dialect then prevalent in Normandy, be-
gan to be the language ofthe Court and
Of the higher classes. With William the
Conquerer, the Norman Saxon period Of
the English language commenced the
native language was barbarously mingled
with it, and tine French Of Normandy was
introduced into judicial proceedings and
schools. The children of the great were
sent to Normandy to be educated, and the
Jet poor and uncutivated Saxon remain
ed only among the lower classes. 1t f.
nallv conquered, although with the loss Of
many Of its pocuiart es, under Edward l,
toward the end Of the thirteenth century.
Under Edward Ill it again became the
language OF official proceedings. A large
number of French words had, however,
became incorporated with 1t, and from a
continual adoption of words from modern
French, which naturally resulted from the
political relations oftbe two countries, the
present English language was formed. 1t
received, however, its final cultivation on
| ly al the time or the reformation, and the
quarrels between the crown and the ma
ton, which followed that event i: nor did
it acquire its final polish till after the rev.
olution, when the authors who employed
it, elevated it to that high degree o! ex-
cellence, Of which, from its great copl-
business, and the remarkable simplicity Of
its construction, il was peculiarly capa-
BILE. 1t 10 the most simple Of all the Eu-
proean languages the termination of the
substantives being only changed in the
genitive and the.plural, and the alterations
of the roots Of the verb not exceeding
six or seven. This simplicity depends in
some measure on philosophical accura-
CIV which is carried sy Systematically through
the whole language, 30 that the adiectives,
particlples, and articles are indeclinable,
being in their nature destitute Of any j.
deas of gender, case-or number and the
| form OF generic distinction is confined to
objects which are naturally entitled to it.
The pronunciation, on the other hand, is
extremely intricate, and foreign proper
names, in particular, are much mutilated
whenever they are adopted by tho Eng
| lish.
For the purpose Of presenting in one
view the changes which the language has
undergone, we select the Lords prayer
as an example. The following version is
Danish Saxon Of about the year 875, and
is ascribed to King Alfred.
Fader ure, thu the earth on Heofenum.
81 thin Mama gehalgod /; i..c
To be cume thin Rice
Gswur,hc thin Villa on Eor,ian swa twa on He
ofnum
Urne &c daghwnniican Hal style US to dag;
And forgyf us ure Gyl,as. swa swa we forgyfath
'urum Gyl,endum
And Ec geladde thu us on cos,nug
Ac alyse usof Yae.
H. Danish Saron of about 900.