Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Language Variations Between the 10th and 20th Centuries: Views of Two Passages
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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 4 page paper considers the fact that linguistic and lexical changes occurred in the English language over ten centuries. A comparative view of two passages from the story of John the Baptist provides a means of measuring and assessing the changes that have occurred, in order to relate these to the progression of language over time.
Page Count:
4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: MH11_MHOldEng.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
Baptist provides a means of measuring and assessing the changes that have occurred, in order to relate these to the progression of language over time. The first passage
to be assessed and related in terms of linguistic and lexical changes is: "And he swore, truly I thee give whatsoever thou ask, though thou desires half my kingdom."
In the Old English, this passage appears as: And he swor hire, "Sooes ic pe selle swa hwaet swa pu me bitst, peah pu wille healf min rice."
The Middle English is much closer to the modern English, and appears as: And he swoor to hir: "For what euere thou shalt axe, I schal 3ive
to thee, thou3 the half of my kingdom." A comparison between the Old English and Middle English shows the distinct nature of these two forms of English and the
major changes that occurred between the 10th and 20th centuries. For example, the first four words of each of these passages seem quite similar, especially in comparison with the rest
of the text. "And he swor hire" in the Old English was replaced with "And he swoor to hir" in the Middle English, with a simple change in the
spelling of swor (to swoor) and the change from "hire" to "hir." In addition, though of the usable participle "to" clarifies the beginning of the sentence and suggests a
structural change in the Middle English. The addition of this word takes away the implied prepositional phrase that is the equivalent of "to her" (hire) with the direct prepositional
phrase "to hir." The Old English then continues: "Sooes ic pe selle swa hwaet swa pu me bitst" or "Truly I thee giveth whatsoever you me asketh."
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