ENG501 Midterm Past Papers

Q. After the rise of middle class what happened to English language. Discuss briefly

Since importance of a language largely depends upon the importance of people who speak it; with the rise of middle class English also had uplift in its status as their language.

Q. Define Diachronic linguistics. 3 marks

Diachronic linguistics is the scientific study of language change over time. It’s also called historical linguistics. Principal concerns include: to describe and account for observed changes in particular languages. Diachronic linguistics is the study of language through different periods in history. It maps the shifts, fractures, and mutations of languages over the centuries. In gross outline, it is similar to evolutionary biology which maps the shifts and transformations of rocks.

Q. Why Urdu was not made the only official language?(3 marks)

All documentation was in English Language. For first 30 years this controversy went one. 1978 all schools were instructed to teach urdu as medium. However schools continued to teach English. People who were in power continued to learn and interact in English. Because there wasn’t any proper planning in bringing urdu result was that English is used in official domains also the elite class . Urdu is currently 2012 is a national language. However, it couldn’t get a real status of official language.

Q. Describe Explictiness?

Explicitness dictates that you should be clear about the assumptions proven or unproven on which study is based.

Q. Explain Expressiveness.

According to my understanding its the use words, phrases, gestures in written or spoken language. in case of written this is added by metaphors and idioms whereas in spoken body language, and intonation plays a vital role

Q. Define Art and culture of Middle English.

The Middle English period (1150–1500). This was the time around loss of Normandy. to me logically the answer is: Lots of literature was translated from french to English. People were learning and inclining towards learning French as L2 keeping English as L1. 10.

Q. Describe the Innate ability to communicate.

The human brain is hard wired to communicate. According to Chomsky Language learning abilities are built-in in human minds Q. Give two examples of acronyms.

WWW: World Wide Web

ATM: Automated teller Machine.

Q. What is the delusion (means difference) between vowel and consonants?

Vowel sound is made fairly open from the mouth. For example "a". Where as Consonant is fairly closed sound that is "m". So vowels are sounds 3 produced by open configuration of vocal tract without audible friction. But consonants are produced in which sound is produced.

Q. Define Anglicism?

An **Anglicism** is a word or construction borrowed from English into another language. For example words like computer and internet are borrowed from English in other languages.

Q. Explain Linguistics briefly.

The scientific study of language and its structure, including the study of grammar, syntax, and phonetics. Specific branches of linguistics include sociolinguistics, dialectology, psycholinguistics, computational linguistics, comparative linguistics, and structural linguistics.

Q. Define diachronic linguistics.

Diachronic linguistics is the scientific study of language change over time. It is the study of language through different periods in history. It maps the shifts, fractures and mutations of languages over the centuries.

Q. Language of law court.

French was the language of lawyers and the law courts down to 1362.

Q. Difference between inflection and derivation?

Q. Role of literature in language.

Literature is a mirror of times and also a mirror of language/s used during the times. So for example, literature written in England during the Middle English period also reflects the times and language choices of the times.

Q. Article in Middle English.

The definite article in ME is almost invariably ‘te’ or ‘the’.

Example: ‘te castles and bi the fet’. Q. Status of Latin in 15th Century.

In the fifteenth century, English succeeds in displacing Latin as the general language spoken and written.

Q. What is language family tree?

A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestral language or parental language, called the protolanguage of that family.

Q. What John Barton wrote in his book in 15th century?

In the first decade of the fifteenth century, John Barton wrote a ‘Donet François’, a treatise intended for adults who wished to learn French.

The Celtic languages in England had two divisions: Gaelic or Goidelic branch and the Brythonic branch.

Q. Army and Navy examples in Middle English.

Control of the army and navy was in the hands of French people so naturally French military terms were used. Examples include: army, navy, peace, enemy, arms, battle, combat, skirmish, defense, ambush, retreat, soldier, garrison, guard, and spy. Also Officers: captain, lieutenant and sergeant are French words.

Q. Difference between “Thee” and “Thou”.

Today we use you in both cases. In Old English, thou and thee were singular and ye and you were plural, but in Middle English times the custom arose of using ye/you as a polite or deferential way of addressing a single person, and this usage spread; thou and thee gradually dropped out of use in everyday speech, and finally disappeared (except in some dialects, where they persist to this day).

Q. Why are Angles superior than jutes and Saxons?

The Germanic tribes that conquered England were the Jutes, Saxons, and Angles. The original name of England means “Land of the Angles”. Angles and Jutes were the first of tribes to invade Britain in large numbers. The Angles were established in England before the Saxons took over.

Q. Write about inflection and Derivation.

Q. Indifference of noble class and kings.

They did not cultivate English, though had acquaintance with it.