Mrs. Reinert Name: ______________________________
CP English 10
/25
History of the English Language Date: ___________ Period: _____________
The History of the English Language
Exercise A: The following are statements about the English Language. On the lines provided, write T if the statement
is true and F if the statement is false.
_____ 1. Denotations are associations or attitudes and feelings about a word.
_____ 2. English came from a language family known as Proto-Indo-European
_____ 3. The Normans invaded England and brought with them their French language.
_____ 4. The invention of the printing press caused speakers to begin using Old English.
_____ 5. English has borrowed words from languages all around the globe.
_____ 6. Jargon is language spoken in one particular group.
_____ 7. The connotation of a word is its dictionary meaning.
_____ 8. Formal language is language appropriate for everyday conversation and personal letters.
_____ 9. Although not appropriate for every writing situation, writers should strive to use gobbledygook where
possible.
_____ 10. One way we know that several languages came from the same Proto-Indo-European language family is
that the languages share cognates, or common forms.
Exercise B: On the line provided, identify each word or phrase. Write J for jargon, MM for mixed metaphor, T for tired
word, G for gobbledygook, and C for cliché.
_____ 1. as happy as a clam
_____ 2. wonderful
_____ 3. like a grain of sand crying out in the wilderness
_____ 4. beat, as in music
_____ 5. a supernatural apparition of ghostly appearance
Exercise C: Match the following terms with their definitions.
_____ 1. jargon a. language appropriate for everyday conversation
_____ 2. Old English b. the dictionary meaning of a word
_____ 3. connotations c. the parent language from which several languages stem
_____ 4. informal English d. language appropriate for serious, dignified occasions
_____ 5. Proto-Indo-European e. the language spoken in England from around 1066 until the late 1400s
_____ 6. gobbledygook f. the special language of a profession or field of activity
_____ 7. clichés g. wordy, puffed up language
_____ 8. denotation h. the dominant language in England until around 1066
_____ 9. formal English i. the meanings suggested by or associated with a word
_____ 10. Middle English j. wealth expressions that are overused or tired