2006-08-18 11:21:50 · 8 answers · asked by FauxPas 2 in Social Science ➔ Other - Social Science
The Romance languages have all descended from Latin: Romanian, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese. Words from some of these languages have entered English - mostly French and Latin.
English is very much a bastard language, but originally was Germanic. After the Norman conquest of England, French-speakers became the rulers. As such, they influenced the language considerably, particularly words revolving around cooking!
Latin words also entered English through the clergy of the Catholic church.
Origin of words in the English language (from Wikipedia):
" * French, including Old French and early Anglo-French: 28.3%
* Latin, including modern scientific and technical Latin: 28.24%
* Other Germanic languages (including Old English, Old Norse, and Dutch): 25%
* Greek: 5.32%
* No etymology given: 4.03%
* Derived from proper names: 3.28%
* All other languages contributed less than 1%"
"However, it should also be noted that 83% of the 1,000 most-common English words are Anglo-Saxon in origin."
2006-08-18 11:45:12 · answer #1 · answered by Tom D 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Romance languages are deemed as such because they are principally derived from Latin. Specifically, the Romance languages reflect much of the sound system (phonetics) of Latin, some of the grammar/syntax (verb formation, prepositions, pronouns), much of the word-formation (morphology), and a lot of the vocabulary. Ultimately, it's the connection to Latin syntax and morphology that provides the main link between Latin and the post-Latin languages.
The grammar/syntax and word-formation in English is largely of Anglo-Saxon origin, and that's why English is considered primarily a Germanic language.
Many loan words and structures from the Romance Languages and from Latin have entered English, but the way in which verbs are formed, nouns pluralized, parts of speech ordered, etc. (in other words, the essential grammar and word-formation) all derive from Anglo-Saxon.
The presence of Spanish, French, etc. in English is not foundational (grammar/word-formation), but supplementary (extra words, new sounds). This is why, for example, there are at least two ways to say "dog"--"dog" and "canine"--yet the Anglo-Saxon "dog" is the more common.
It seems, then, that English could only be considered a semi-Romance Language to the extent that it has absorbed many words and sounds from the Romance Languages. The Anglo-Saxon core of English, however, remains minimally affected (if that) by the Romance Languages.
2006-08-18 11:48:31 · answer #2 · answered by R M 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i've got continually loved the define "Colliers Encyclopedia" gave of English some time past now in its 1952 version. It stated that English replaced into "a Germanic language with some Romance alterations." i think of it rather is a honest assessment. it rather is authentic that the unique English, or Anglo-Saxon is long gone now and that Anglo-Saxon factors have been watered down interior the sought after English language. although, no longer all Germanic factors in present day English are of Anglo-Saxon foundation. understand that the Danes and Vikings contributed many words to English like bat, cake, loopy, bounce, chuffed, pass, sky, snuggly, and incorrect that are of Germanic foundation. Low German and Dutch contributed words like booty, gang, woman, toy, spoon, trek and yacht. Such Norman French words in English as bastard, recoil, shelter, helmet and grab have a Teutonic (Germanic) foundation too. So, there is an entire slew of words in English that are no longer Anglo-Saxon yet nevertheless Germanic. in case you recognize something approximately Albanian (a language of Thraco-Illyrian origins), it has comparable numbers of Latin and Romance (regularly Vlach and Italian) loanwords. yet, Albanian isn't seen via all and sundry to be a Romance language. Few, dare even call it a semi-Romance language. There are greater Latin factors in Welsh that meet the attention, a legacy of the two the Roman invaders of england and the early Christians, yet it remains considered very plenty as a Celtic language. The syntax and shape of a language are no longer adequate to place it right into a definite class. the rather some older Romance languages like Romanian, Sardinian and Corsican have not got grammars that are very like French in any respect. they are closer to the unique Vulgar Latin in shape. Corsican, and likewise the Tuscan dialect of Italian, even have consonantal mutation, a characteristic greater characteristic of the Celtic languages. The similarities in English and French syntax are greater in all danger do to the easy analytical flow that has been happening in very practically all present day eu languages to a miles better or lesser degree different than the Celtic languages. So, at the same time as i do no longer choose to stress any particular perspective on you, i think of those are some issues it rather is beneficial to think approximately on your assessment as to if English would be categorized as Romance or no longer.
2016-09-29 10:20:35 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The evolution of language has led to many language families and sub families. The primary language of both of these are Indo-European Languages, they are from distinct branches.
Romance languages are:
Indo-European > Italic > Latino-Faliscan > Latin > Romance
Germanic Languages are:
Indo-European > Germanic > West Germanic > Anglo-Frisian > Anglic > English
To further look at how different they are, let us use Spanish, one of the most popular Romance Langauges.
Indo-European > Italic > Latino-Faliscan > Latin > Romance > Italo-Western > Gallo-Iberian > Ibero-Romance > West Iberian > Spanish
This would say that you Great Great Great Great Great Great Great Great Great Grandmother's son is closer than your brother? Interesting
2006-08-18 11:44:35 · answer #4 · answered by J C 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ick..! A romance language?! Most of the English I hear out on the street is anything BUT romantic! -In fact, half the time it isn't even proper english. Maybe it's alittle better over in the U.K.- But here in the States- forget it. I'm not even sure you can call it english- there's so much prefabricated slang in it.
2006-08-18 11:33:09 · answer #5 · answered by Joseph, II 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well English has borrowed alot from French and Spanish grammatically, but syntactically it's still very much a Germanic language.
2006-08-18 11:27:03 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Only when we use english that is derived from Italian or French.
2006-08-18 11:56:07 · answer #7 · answered by Pepper's Mommy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not at all.
2006-08-19 22:22:11 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋