Warning Signs on Ap Lang Exam Essay Samples You Must Be Aware Of

Warning Signs on Ap Lang Exam Essay Samples You Must Be Aware Of Life After Ap Lang Exam Essay Samples More precisely, you will need to complete three different essay types, and odds are among these types are going to be a rhetorical analysis paper. Brainstorm for what credibility factors you may deduce before you even observe the articles. Tie every claim you make to a bit of evidence to make sure the ideal essay possible. The evidence is a significant portion of your essay. Each one directs you to finish a particular sort of response. To score no less than a 3, students would be a good idea to take advantage of pertinent references from the text. Many times, it includes a text that you need to analyze. Based on your assignment, you may have to select a key text. Choosing Good Ap Lang Exam Essay Samples The ideal way to do it is to dedicate a different paragraph for each new technique. 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Examining the Ethics of Plato and Aristotle Essay

This essay will be examining the ethics of Plato (428-347 BCE) and Aristotle (384-322 B.C). I will firstly attempt to summarise the five fundamental concepts of Plato and Aristotle before providing my own opinion and view on their ethics. I will concentrate on their theories on the good life as a life of justice, censorship, knowledge and the good life. I will first examine Plato’s ethics. Plato was a philosopher who was both a rationalist and absolutist. According to his view, people must be schooled to acquire certain kinds of knowledge i.e. mathematics, philosophy and so forth. This training will give them the capacity to know the nature of the good life. Since, evil is due to lack of knowledge. Not all people have the mental†¦show more content†¦This was how Plato perceived absolutism. Aristotle’s overlook on what is the ‘good life’ as he used an empirical approach to ethics. The ‘good life’ as Aristotle defines it as one which has happiness as a characteristic or ‘a life of happiness’. ‘Happiness is an activity of the soul in accord with perfect virtue’. ‘People ought to behave so as to achieve happiness’. I believe that Aristotle’s answer will be everyone always ought to follow the middle course between certain kinds of activities. Aristotle uses an analogy to describe happiness. The analogy of happiness is best described as how much a person can eat. For example, if a person believes that having two cakes would be sufficient for his lunch, but if he believes that having one cake would not be enough for his lunch, then how much is right for him? To be right for him, he must eat between one and two cakes in order to satisfy his appetite. This is Aristotle’s formula, ‘the do ctrine of the mean’ or the preferred name ‘golden mean’. The ‘Doctrine of the Mean’ is the moderation in all things. The virtues we must have are virtues of moderation. This will be different for different people as Aristotle believed. Aristotle is therefore a relativist. I would now like to share my opinion and perspective on how I perceive the theories of Plato and Aristotle. In my view, the better solution to the problem of the ‘good life’ is Aristotle’s belief rather than Plato’s belief of the good life. Firstly, Plato’sShow MoreRelatedEssay about Aristotle and Platos Views on Reality980 Words   |  4 PagesAristotle and Plato were both great thinkers but their views on realty were different. Plato viewed realty as taking place in the mind but Aristotle viewed realty is tangible. Even though Aristotle termed reality as concrete, he stated that reality does not make sense or exist until the mind process it. Therefore truth is dependent upon a person’s mind and external factors. According to Aristotle, things are seen as taking course and will eventually come to a stop when potential is reachedRead MoreAristotle And Plato s Philosophy1688 Words   |  7 Pages) Professor Armstrong CC 5 October 2015 Aristotle and Plato are famous for their many works in the philosophical field. Specifically, the Republic by Plato and Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle seem to be their most popular works. In these works they discuss things that are needed to achieve the â€Å"good life† both on an individual level and on a societal level. There is some variance between what the two philosophers think can create the â€Å"good life.† They explore the concepts of eudaimonia, virtueRead MoreAnalysis Of Aristotle s The Golden Mean 1109 Words   |  5 PagesPart 3 - Aristotle - The Golden Mean Aristotle was a greek philosopher that taught and stressed many important and revolutionary ideas/philosophies. He was born in 384 BC, and was a student of Plato, as well as founded/ taught at several academies. He wrote on diverse subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, logic, politics, government, and ethics. He contributed to almost every field of human knowledge in existence during his time, and he was the founder of many new fields. Aristotle was oneRead MoreThe Ethics Of Plato And Aristotle977 Words   |  4 Pages In this essay, I will be examining the ethics of Plato and Aristotle. I will explain the five fundamental concepts of Plato and Aristotle. I will focus on their theories on the good life as a life of justice, censorship, knowledge and the good life. I will first explain Plato’s ethics. Plato was a philosopher, both a rationalist and absolutist. According to Plato, people must be schooled to obtain certain kinds of knowledge for example mathematics, philosophy etc. The training will give themRead MoreHistorical Events That Took Place During The Classical Period1458 Words   |  6 PagesInfluences of Aristotle During the Classical Period, 500-232 BCE, Greece was at the peak of its political and cultural achievement. This was also a time of war, most noteworthy being the vast empire created by Alexander the Great. In a period containing such an immense amount of historical significance there is no doubting that it had influenced the people born. Notorious philosopher Aristotle is no exception, contributing a great deal to the fields of mathematics, biology and ethics. His book titledRead MoreAncient Greek Philosophy -Paper776 Words   |  4 Pagesin the power of the mind Greeks used observation and reason to determine why things happened, they opened up a new way of looking at human existence. During the time of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle it was a crime to investigate the things above the heavens and below the Earth. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were well known philosophers. Their research contributed to modern science and the development of Western political thought. Socrates, born in 5th century BCE, makes a watershedRead MoreThe Individual and the Community963 Words   |  4 Pageswould go out and find different answers to that question in everything he/she does. During the Golden Age a philosopher names Plato came about. He so happened to be a student of Socrates. Being that Socrates never wrote anything down their views on life is impossible to contrast. In comparison to Socrates, Plato viewed everything through questioning and examining. Plato thought the community or state must be supreme in a final decision and not to take the time to observe each individual and theirRead MoreAristotle Impact on Law765 Words   |  4 PagesAristotle (384 - 322 BC), was a Greek philosopher, logician, and scientist. Along with his teacher Plato, Aristotle is generally regarded as one of the most influential ancient thinkers in a various ways. Aristotle was born in Stagira in northern Greece, and as a young man he studied in Platos Academy in Athens. After Platos death he left Athens to proceed in philosophical and biological research in Asia Minor and Lesbos, and he was then invited by King Philip II of Macedonia to tutor his youngRead MoreAristotle s Sym posium : The Nicomachean Ethics1934 Words   |  8 Pages720532457 The Symposium verses The Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics (Ethics) is regarded as one of the, if not the greatest work concerning ethics in history. The word ethics derives from the Greek word ethos, which translates more properly as â€Å"character†, and it would seem that Aristotle’s concern in The Ethics, is what constitutes good character, and that goodness is of practical use; that merely knowing how to be a way is only half of what’s necessary, and that the known mustRead MoreThe Complicated Life of Socrates1183 Words   |  5 Pages and Ethics, his teachings was in disagreement with the teachings of the democracy of Athens, which led to him being put to death. Along with his philosophical beliefs, Socrates’ great thinking led to the creation of the Socratic Method and the Socratic Paradoxes. Socrates’ philosophical beliefs and life isn’t accurately represented in the modern world. Since there aren’t any writings from Socrates himself, his life, beliefs, and philosophy has to be depicted through the writings of Plato, Aristophanes

Pest and Swot Analysis for Expansion of Services to Spain free essay sample

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Shakespeares Female Characters Essay Example

Shakespeares Female Characters Paper Come, you spirits, That tend on mortal thoughts, unsexes me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty! demanded one of them furiously (Shakespeare 853). If I be waspish, best beware my sting, sneered the other (Shakespeare 333). Although they emerged nearly five centuries ago, the women who said these lines are undeniably two of Shakespearean most famous female characters. Lady Macbeth and Katherine are still known today as conspicuous figures in Shakespearean plays. The first stands out as a strong, manipulative, cunning woman; so ambitious to achieve her goal that she even becomes fear-provoking (Corning). The latter is prominent for her temper and feral exhibitions of rage. She is repulsed by mens attitudes toward her and repeatedly spits degrading Insults at them in fury. She Is revolted at the Idea of having to comply with her fathers wish of her wedding one of her wooers. Considering the time period Shakespeare lived in, one can conclude that the female characters in his plays behaved ways that was came as a shock to such a patriarchal society (Shakespearean unruly Women). We will write a custom essay sample on Shakespeares Female Characters specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Shakespeares Female Characters specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Shakespeares Female Characters specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Shakespeare portrayed them in roles that, for his era, were reserved strictly for men. Women of this era were not the strong, powerful, intelligent females we see in Macbeth, nor were they the Like the Ironic Katherine, who we meet In Taming of the Shrew, who even dares to strike Petroleum upon being angered by his Insolence. Females were not at all thus; they were creatures raised to believe themselves inferiors to men (Elizabethan Women). However, despite all this criticism, Shakespeare portrayed his female characters in a way that they transcended the pre-established constraints of his time. This portrayal of women is due to the Elizabethan periods influence. By having an unmarried woman as a monarch, he was inclined towards writing plays that pleased her. In order to understand Shakespearean representation of women, it Is necessary to take Into account the era he lived In. One must consider the roles and expectations for women in his society. As mentioned above, Shakespeare lived in the Elizabethan period. Queen Elizabeth Tudor I assumed the throne as an unmarried woman and remained unmarried throughout her entire life (Thomas). Her reign brought innovative ideas about women to England. Even though they could not attend universities, some upper class females were able to receive a basic education. Some were even taught to speak different languages, play Instruments, and dance (Elizabethan Women). However, the Elizabethan era is rather paradoxical. The irony of it lies in the fact that despite having a single woman as a monarch, the situation for women in society, particularly for single women, did not improve significantly. Women were expected to be the stereotypical stay-at-home mothers that they had always been. The unmarried women of the Elizabethan society minded Limited to certain roles. At a certain point, women had two alternatives; marriage or Tie at a nunnery. However, rater monasteries were terminate, ten only option left for them was marriage; household service (The Role of Unmarried Women ). When Shakespeare was hired by an acting company called Lord Chamberlains Men, he first came into close contact with the queen (Finely). Queen Elizabeth was a frequent spectator of the companys plays. Shakespeare was faced with a slight dilemma. He had to write plays to please both an unmarried monarch, and a patriarchal society (Richardson). As a result, Shakespearean female characters turned out as something untraditional, yet by some degree, still the typical females of his era (Racking 67). Shakespearean female characters did depend on the male characters on some level (Corning). They depended on either on their fathers when they were young or on their husbands later on in life. An example of this can be observed in Othello, in the first act when Desman says that she owes her life, her up-bringing, and education to her father. Later on in the same act, Othello believes he will be away from her for some time. He requests that the duke provides her with accommodations and a monetary allowance in his absence (Shakespeare 827). Obviously, this implies that Desman would not be able to fend for herself while Othello is away. This accurately reflects the situation for women in the Elizabethan society. Desman depended first on her father, and then on Othello for money, food, and shelter. Even by going to early productions, the gender stereotypes for women could be observed. In early productions, the roles of the female characters were played by young men or boys whose voices hadnt changed. Having a female actress was regarded as something highly inappropriate and unnecessary. It was not a role for women (Duisenberg 7). Consequently, until the year 1660 there were no female actresses on stage (Thomas). Yet even though they did not appear on stage, Shakespearean female characters held surprisingly dominant roles (Milliard). To support this proposal, two of Shakespearean most prominent female characters will be analyzed. Different aspects of their behavior will be evaluated. The more powerful aspects as well as their weaker aspects will serve as evidence to support the proposal that Shakespearean female characters held dominant roles yet while on some level, till being characteristic of the Elizabethan era. Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespearean most prominent creations. Put simply, Lady Macbeth is full of evil. She is a ferocious, brutal, cold-blooded character from the moment she is introduced in the play. She pressures her husband into committing regicide as though it were something casual. It is she who drugs the kings companions and prepares the weapons for the murder. When her husband vacillates about killing the king, she manipulates him into following through by questioning his manhood. Finally, he gives in and murders the king. After committing the crime, she orders him to go back. When he refuses to do so, it is she who goes in herself and wipes the bloody weapons on the unconscious attendants to frame them. For anyone who has read the play, it is undeniable that Lady Machetes character is particularly eccentric. Yet in certain ways, she is contradictory. Certainly, it is true that Lady Macbeth is a dominant female. Nevertheless at a particular point in the story, her strength begins to degrade. Lady Macbeth constantly acknowledges a connection between masculinity and ambition. This particular play has quite a few references to gender territories. This is exemplified when Lady Macbeth cries for the spirits to unsexes near (snappers B By using ten word unsexes, seen acknowledges ten link TN she believes exists between femininity and weakness and cowardice. She wishes to be unsexes so that her influence would have an effect on her husband. A feminine character could not carry out an act that required such wickedness and strength. She considers her husband too soft or to kind to go through with it (Shakespeare 859). Another reference to the gender stereotypes is the dialogue that occurs right before Macbeth kills King Duncan. Watching her husband hesitate to go through with the plan, Lady Macbeth reacts by suggesting that he is not masculine enough. Apart from challenging his masculinity, she also questions his love for her. She then proceeds to asking him a series of rhetorical questions as an attempt to manipulate his actions. She asks whether he was drunk earlier on when he was entirely supportive of the plan (Shakespeare 863). She calls him a coward for not daring to do that which he said he would. Macbeth replies that he is only doing what is appropriate. Lady Macbeth retorts that he was more of a man when he was willing to kill the king. When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man (Shakespeare 864). She then makes a savage remark that she would rather dash out her bays brains than to break her word, had she sworn anything the way Macbeth did. Near the end of the scene, Macbeth alludes do his wifes masculinity by making a comment that she should only have male children, for her undaunted mettle (Shakespeare 857) would pass on to them. Yet as aggressive and brutal Lady Macbeth may appear, certain aspects of her character, certain comments indicate that she is not as brutal as she mess. When speaking to her husband about killing King Duncan, she tells him that she is unable to commit murder because he greatly resembles her father (Shakespeare 864). This tiny piece of information, which appears to be unimportant, is evidence that Lady Macbeth is not the ruthless creature she lets on to be. In addition to this, we see how Lady Machetes character begins to transform after the murder of King Duncan. After the regicide, Lady Machetes role is no longer as powerful and influential as it was in the first two acts. Her relationship with her husband slowly begins to degrade. When Macbeth plans on killing Banana, a character who he feels is a threat to his power, he tells her nothing (Shakespeare 870). Another example of the deterioration of their relationship is seen in the banquet scene. Macbeth sees the ghost of Banana and begins yelling at it to leave. Lady Macbeth, irritated by her husbands behavior, yells at him for making a scene in front of their guests (Shakespeare 877). Lady Macbeth slowly begins to break down and submerge into madness. Her sensitivity to the guilt turns into a great burden and eventually drives her insane. By the end of the play it overpowers her. In the last scene we see her, she has been reduced to this creature that sleepwalks, ranting on madly about horrifying images and recollections, apparently hallucinating. She yells about wanting to get rid of the spots of Dunces blood (Shakespeare 879). This is metaphorical to her desire to rid herself of the guilt she feels for her role in King Dunces murder. One can conclude that Lady Macbeth is certainly a classic Shakespearean female character. On one hand, powerful, ruthless, and dominant, yet on the other hand, displaying signs of weakness and sensitivity as her character diminishes. Apart from Lady Macbeth, another well-known Shakespearean contracted Is ten Tetra, villous Katherine. In ten play, seen Is Wally Known as an aggressively, nasty tempered woman; a shrew. She is well known in her town, Pad, for lashing out at anyone who angers her, and discharging her fury by nastily insulting and even striking he or she who dares enrage her. As the plot unfolds, we discover that Katherine is an especially intelligent, independent, and clever woman. She will not succumb to marry any of the dull-witted men who she usually has contact with. Though at first it may seem that Skates behavior is thus by nature, as e see more of her throughout the play, it is safe to assume that her behavior is a result of feeling unhappiness and discomfort at her environment. She despises the male-dominated, patriarchal society she is stuck in. She is also resentful and Jealous because her father, Baptists, always favors Bianca, her younger sister. Katherine hints this in various ways. When Baptists announces that Katherine must get married before her younger sister Bianca may, he is almost implying that Katherine is somewhat of a burden that he would like to get off his hands first. In response to this, Katherine asks if it is his intention is to make a fool out of her amongst Bananas suitors (Shakespeare 324). In addition to this, Katherine also shows displays her anger and Jealousy towards Bianca when she binds her hands and violently interrogates her to find out for which one of her suitors she is affectionate (Shakespeare 327). The issue of who was going to marry Katherine is resolved when Patriotic, a friend of one of Bananas suitors, comes to Pad in search of a wife (Shakespeare 330). At first, he is only attracted by Katherine dowry and quickly goes o meet her. Upon meeting him, Kate seemingly despises Patriotic. Their first meeting consists of an argument in which he calls her a wasp. Infuriated by his audacity, she strikes him. Patriotic simply replies that if she strikes him again, he will strike her back (Shakespeare 333). Following this meeting, Patriotic reports to Baptists that he was successful at wooing Katherine. Shocked by this, she responds by quickly contradicting him. Ignoring her, Patriotic announces that they have agreed to marry the following Sunday. Oddly, Katherine does not object (Shakespeare 336). It seems that Katherine, who was used to out-witting the unintelligent men who normally surround her, is intrigued by Buttercups clever responses. Patriotic then engages in a series of unusual methods to tame her. He arrives inebriated and late to the wedding. Then after marrying her, he tells her that he will now do with her what he wishes. He orders her to go to Verona before the feast. Then, upon getting to his home, he does not allow her to eat or sleep for days, saying that he would not have her eat his poor food or sleep in his inadequately made bed. However his treatment of her is not without reason. His intention is to make her see how preposterous her behavior was; to give her a taste of her own medicine. By the end of the play, Buttercups success at taming her is so effective, that she obeys him in practically everything he tells her to do. At the end of the play, she and Patriotic go back to Pad. The last impression she leaves on the reader is when she gives a speech about the devotion and loyalty a woman owes to her husband. Katherine is the typical of Shakespearean characters. Looking at her role in society superficially, it would seem as though she is the classic female of his era. She depends on the male characters for survival. Similar to Desman and her dependence first on her father, then on Othello for a home and survival in society, the way Katherine depends teen on near Tanner Ana Petroleum Is comparable. Yet Katherine Allays an array of unusual characteristics for a female of the Elizabethan period. It was not common to see a female abusing men as Katherine did. Not only her treatment of men, but a woman behaving the general way Katherine did, degrading anyone who she felt deserved it, with her cruel insults, and her nasty temper was absolutely shocking. In the eyes of a patriarchal society, the image of Katherine was not unlike the image left by Lady Macbeth. Although the two characters differ greatly, they are similar in various ways. At the beginning of the play, they are both fierce, dominant women. Yet at a certain point in the play, their dominance begins to diminish. For Lady Macbeth, this occurs after Macbeth kills Duncan and needs her no more. He kills and carries out other deeds by himself, without even informing her. Her guilt about murdering Duncan weakens her so much, that she commits suicide. In Taming of the Shrew, Katherine weakness is displayed when she demonstrates that she can be tamed. Patriotic is able to shape her behavior in the way he wishes. As mentioned above, her final speech evidences her transformation from a shrew to a compliant, obedient wife. Many factors may have influenced Shakespearean portrayal of his female characters. However the main influence was his frequent contact with Queen Elizabeth I and the pressure to please an unmarried female monarch and a patriarchal society simultaneously. However, despite them having a common weakness, Shakespearean most conspicuous female characters have one major aspect n common: they were women portrayed in a way that transcended the limiting roles which their society had assigned them.

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buy custom International Business Law Questions essay According to the World Trade Organization, all nations are equal relating to business operations (Mo, 2003). Every nation has a right to import and export its products without any restrictions. The Shuzeiho law taxes all liquor depending on its type. The country has ten groups of liquors. The tax law in Japan has less strict regulation regarding some kinds of liquor while putting more pressure on other groups through tax regulation. In this regard, the law requires Shochu and its liquor group to pay smaller tax as compared to vodka and other imported liquors. In fact, vodka and its group is taxed seven to eight percent more than the other groups. This contributes to unfair conditions for the liquor to sell at the same prices. More importantly, it discourages importation of liquor that is manufactured outside the country while promoting the internally manufactured liquor. Being a member of the WTO Japan should be ready to comply with the existing laws to remove all trade barriers so t hat other nations can get access to the market and sell their goods at a relatively lower price. The WTO should give Japan a date to comply or place some sanctions on its business operations. This will trigger reactions from the countrys top governing institutions.The Tobacco act of 1986 prohibited imports of all types of tobacco except those from the Director-general of the Exercise Department. Several government monopolies tried to import cigarettes but then failed to fulfill the importation target. This has left a gap in cigarette importation to Malaysia causing great concerns about the import of cigarettes to the nation. Although the government does not allow importation of cigarettes, it is important to note that there are different means for dealing with the situation rather than providing licenses to people or groups who are unable to achieve importation targets. If the country fails to import cigarettes from other nations it will make the rest of the nations fail to import g oods from Malaysia due to the unfairness of importing cigarettes from the developed nations Import Duties: Classification, Valuation and Country of Origin Tottering would be able to import doll wigs from Argentina at an acceptable level of duty. First of all this is because no firm in the US is able to produce a wig manufactured from real hair. The management of Tottering will probably purchase from Argentina because purchasing the wigs from the local markets will imply that the company sells the dolls at prices above $99. This price is high and might scare away customers. The complete package from the domestic markets would cost over $100 considering the price of the doll and wigs. Importing wigs will also bring advantages to the company because it will be able to sell wigs separatelyfrom the dolls. The supplying firm in Argentina that Tottering has found produces high quality products. In addition, the inventor of wigs, who is US resident and an ex-employee of Tottering, has allowed Tottering to pay royalties to him instead of the firm in Argentina. This will ultimately lower the price of the imported wigs thus increasing profit marg ins. Antidumping Based on the information above, analyze whether WasherWear could prevail in a proceeding under the U.S. antidumping law, addressing the questions of both dumping and injury. WasherWear will not prevail against the Japanese manufactures under the US antidumping law because the Japanese manufacturers are not producing and marketing low standard goods to the US market. In fact, WasherWear has noted that the reason why the Japanese manufacturers are selling the products at lower prices in US compared to their domestic market is the lack of competitors in their country (Ziegel Lerner, 2009). What additional information, if any, should WasherWear seek out before initiating a proceeding? WasherWear should consider information such as whether Japanese manufacturers are getting subsidy for exporting the washing machines to other countries. This can be a cause for selling at lowered prices. What would be the implications if the Japanese were to move their manufacturing to Mexico or China? If Japanese manufacturers shifted their production facilities to Mexico or China, the prices of their products would decrease because the transportation costs including the shipping costs and inland transportation would become lower. WasherWear would probably drop their antidumping proceedings against the company. Subsidies and Countervailing Duties Yes, there is a sufficient basis for the US carbon black firms to raise the countervailing duty case against the two companies BC Corporation and the other Mexican exporter. This is because although the Mexican authorities allowed PEMEX to sell the feedstock at a subsidized price, it had not considered its effects to other producers of carbon black. Mexican authorities should have considered the injuries caused to other carbon black producers and the consequences that would follow should the US authorities enforce the safeguard agreement act (Griswold, 2008). This would be punitive to the carbon black producers in Mexico. Additional aspect that can be considered in the analysis of the issue is discrimination. There was some form of discrimination because although there were several other carbon black producers in Mexico, only two of the companies benefited from the subsidy. Safeguards WTO should determine whether imports were causing injury to the domestic producers before ruling the EU/US challenge to Brazils decision. The claim by the Brazilian authorities that foreign imports of footwear from EU was causing serious harm to the domestic producers is valid and permissible under the safeguard rules and stipulations. This is because imported footwear had saturated the Brazilian market forcing the domestic producers to incur losses in terms of lost revenue (Griswold, 2008). WTO, however, should verify whether the increased imports were specifically causing harm to the domestic producers or this harm was a result of other factors. If Brazilian authorities provided justification that the damage to the domestic market was a consequence of the imports, the WTO would enforce the Safeguards Agreement and hike the import duty to control the imports (Ziegel Lerner, 2009). Assembly Plant Tariff Treatment: NAFTA and SECTION 9802 Ford in this case should not receive the tariff allowance as it requested because the painting process in their assembly was not just a minor operation incidental to the assembly process but a major one. The painting process was a major process in the assembly that involved cleaning and spraying with protection chemicals composed of zinc phosphate compounds. They further submerged the metal sheet into an electrodeposition primer tank baked, sanded, treated with a sealant, and then baked again. This shows that the procedure is intensive and is valid under the Regulations Section 9802 (Griswold, 2008). The process for which Ford claims to receive an allowance is thus not valid because it fails to meet any of the requirements stipulated by the statute. Although the cost of the painting process is high, this does not warrant an allowance because it is a part of their assembly process. Export Controls Under the export control rules a firm should acquire the appropriate export for the intended product (Ziegel Lerner, 2009). John and Marissa would probably lose the trading opportunity should they proceed to acquire the appropriate export license to ship computers to HK Engineering in Hong Kong. However, they should proceed and acquire the license. Exporting the computers under the name of refrigerator parts for which they have a license would be a breach of the export control rules. In this case, it is not relevant for John and Marissa that HK Engineering would acquire the intended computers from a non-US producer. The previous trade deals between HK Engineering and John and Marissa are of no relevance in this case. This is because the deals did not involve computers. Moreover, John and Marissa were not licensed to export computers but refrigerator parts. Buy custom International Business Law Questions essay

45 Idioms About the Number One

45 Idioms About the Number One 45 Idioms About the Number One 45 Idioms About the Number One By Mark Nichol English is replete with idiomatic expressions featuring numerical values, including dozens pertaining to the number one alone. Here’s a list of most (if not all) of the idioms in the latter category. 1. all in one breath: said of something spoken excitedly without pause 2. all in one piece: safely 3. all rolled up in one: combined 4. all-in-one: with all required features 5. as one: as if a group were one entity 6. at one with: in agreement or solidarity with another 7: do (someone) one better: do something that is an improvement on what someone else has done 8. for one thing: said to introduce one of two or more reasons (though the phrase might follow the statement) 9. for one: a qualifier expressing that someone represents an example 10. hole in one: said of a significant achievement, in reference to achieving a goal in golf with a single hit of the ball 11. if it’s not one thing: part of a saying (with the rest, â€Å"it’s another (thing)† often not said but implied) expressed when one is exasperated by the latest in a series of inconveniences 12. in one ear and out the other: said of advice or information that is not heeded or retained 13. in one fell swoop: all at once or within a short period 14. it’s been one of those days: said when multiple things have gone wrong in succession 15. it’s just one of those things: said of something unfortunate that must be accepted 16–17. look after/take care of number one: said in reference to focusing on one’s own safety or concerns over that of others 18. not one iota: not even a bit 19. number one: oneself (see â€Å"look after number one†) 20. on the one hand: from one point of view (sometimes paired with â€Å"on the other hand†) 21. one and all: everyone 22. one for the (record) books: said of a significant achievement 23. one good turn deserves another: an expression about the importance of reciprocity 24. one-hit wonder: an artist who achieves only one commercial success 25–26. one heck/hell of a (something): a reference to someone being markedly bad or good at something 27. one in a million: rare or unique, often said about someone with a distinctive quality 28–29. one jump/step ahead: said of someone who anticipates or innovates 30. one man’s meat is another man’s poison: something one person likes may not be suitable for another person 31. one-night stand: an activity or encounter that lasts only one night 32. one-note: said of something lacking variety 33. one of a kind: unique 34. one of the boys: someone accepted into or part of a group 35. one of these days: said of an expected event that will occur someday or soon; also, sometimes expressed as a threat, with the consequence implied but not stated 36. one of those things: said of something unwelcome but inevitable 37. one person’s trash is another person’s treasure: something of no value to one person may be valuable to another 38. one that got away: a missed opportunity 39. one-track mind: said of someone with a single-minded focus 40. one-trick pony: someone or something with only one distinguishing feature, skill, or talent 41. one up on: said of having an advantage over someone 42. one way or another: somehow 43. square one: the starting point of developing something or solving a problem (often in the phrase â€Å"back to square one†) 44. the one and only: said of something unique 45. there is more than one way to skin a cat: more than one procedure will work or more than one solution is available Other number-oriented idioms, including those that mention the number one but in which the focus is on another number, such as â€Å"Two heads are better than one,† will follow in a later post. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings)Time Words: Era, Epoch, and EonLetter Writing 101

Dysrhythmia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dysrhythmia - Research Paper Example Oxygenated blood from the lungs is pumped to the body cells, the blood returns to the heart devoid of oxygen and is pumped to the lungs for oxygenation. The process repeats itself several times without ever halting (Balachander & Rajagopal, 2011). Basic normal EKG waveform morphology The electrocardiogram (EKG) works as a voltmeter, using twelve leads (electrodes) placed on specific areas of the body. It basically records the electrical activity of the heart at the body surfaces. Ordinarily, the SA node depolarizes spontaneously, initiating an action impulse which swiftly propagates through the atria, leading to atria contraction, then proceeds to the AV node before getting to the Purkinje system to the ventricles (Stein, 2012). This leads to the ventricular contraction. The EKG consists of waves and complexes hence the wave form morphology. In a normal sinus rhythm, the waves and complexes include the P wave, PR segment, PR Interval, T wave, QRS Complex, QT Interval and the ST Segme nt. The waves and complexes work in a complex system that consequently measure electrical activity of the heart. At the onset is the P wave that lasts not more than 0.12 seconds, usually occasioned by the atria’s depolarization. The nature of the P wave is smooth and positive (Stein, 2012). The PR interval then picks and ends at the QRS complex which signifies the onset of ventricular depolarization. Connected to the PR interval is the PR segment which is the EKG wave portion that corresponds to the period between the atria depolarization conclusion to the onset of the ventricular depolarization. At this time the impulse in the heart travels from the AV node through the conducting tissue towards the ventricles. The segment is isoelectric in nature. During ventricular depolarization, the ventricles undergo depolarization and this is represented in the waveform by the QRS complex. It ordinarily ranges between 0.04 seconds to 0.12 seconds and is measured from the onset of the fi rst deflection to the conclusion of the last deflection. Another isoelectric segment occurs typically referred to as the ST segment. It represents ventricular muscle contraction time before any depolarization takes place. Isoelectric segments represents durations in which no electric activities occur. The period between the onset of the QRS segment and the end of the T wave is represented in the waveform by the QT interval. This represents the period of ventricular depolarization up to the ventricular depolarization. The T wave essentially represents ventricular repolarization. The EKG thus represents the entire electric activity of the heart through the waveform morphology (Stein, 2012). Types of dysrhythmia Dysrhythmia is a condition of the heart that causes variation in the regular beat of the heart. Ordinarily it manifests in slow heart beat, skipping a heart beat or sudden changes in heart beat. The common types of dysrhythmia include: Bradycardia which refers to a heart beat f ewer than sixty beats per minute in an adult. Tachycardia, a condition in which the heart beats more than one hundred times per minute in an adult. Sick sinus syndrome, the heart rate slows down, at times the rates varying between slow and fast. Atrial flutter, a condition in which the heart beats very fast at around three hundred and fifty beats per minute, but usually steady (Day, 2012). Features and treatment The conditions described in the previous paragraph best serve

Marketing in Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Marketing in Practice - Essay Example Research was done that indicated the student’s use of the online digital library and the data collected showed that many students are not actually using the services of the library and this impairs reaching the objectives of the plan. This report thus gives an in-depth account of social marketing theory and the related secondary materials that were used to understand the situation of the Birmingham library. With reference to this, appropriate objective and recommendation are given in this report to ensure that the students adopt the new provision as expected by the university; it is to be achieved using social marketing for behaviour change (Weinreich 2011, p.45). Action plan for the implementation of the recommendation is also given as well as the controls of the same program in Birmingham library. Introduction The tradition and role of social marketing is to ensure that marketing is applied together with other concepts and techniques that will culminate into the social good of the targeted group of people (Alder 2010, p.24). The difference between social marketing and commercial marketing should thus be palpable, in social marketing; the driving agenda is not finances as the case with commercial marketing, they tend skew their interest to pursue social good (Pintado, 2007: p. 32). Birmingham Library is a university library that houses all genres of academic materials from sciences to humanities, with the population of the student’s numbers increasing every academic intake (Krol 2010, p.38). There is urgent need then to ensure that some of the services that are currently offered physically in the library are decentralized so that students can have access to the information even without visiting the library premises (Lazer, William, and Eugene 2006, p.20). This proposed idea is supposed to use online library services to enable students to access online books using their tablets, lap top computers, and phone while they are outside that university l ibrary (Kotler and Nancy 2008, p.16). This development will not only help in decongesting the library that is currently receiving high level of traffic movement of students but will also be useful in serving the student’s convenience of using library services in various places including within the hostel without having to move into the library (Burcher 2012, p.19). The university thus wants to use social marketing as a way of advising the students on the available options of accessing the library services without having to borrow physical books (Penford, 2011: p. 37). This is deemed to be of social good to the student as they will have the books in soft copy and can use them anytime without having to visit the library every time. On the other hand, the university will also benefit in the sense that they will be able to accommodate the needs of all the students because only those students who want to engage in those issues that cannot be done outside the library will be in at any particular time. The university will also mitigate on the losses that are realized when textbooks are borrowed by the students from the library (Sarki, 2006: p. 12). This move will be highly beneficial to the student’s body and they should be advised to explore this option through social marketing

Children and Happiness Essay Example for Free

Children and Happiness Essay What makes children happy? ‘That’s easy, you might say, ‘a new toy, an ice cream or a trip to the amusement park.’ While these things bring an immediate smile to many children’s faces, they are probably not the things that will keep them happy day by day, or turn them into happy adults. The basic ingredients that make children happy during childhood seem to be the same ones that help them to become happy adults: a secure relationship with parents gives the base to confidently explore the world and develop a sense of mastery and recognition, all important components in the recipe for happiness. However, in the short term, the new toy might provide a smile too! Man has to pass through many stages of life, since he is born until he dies. He passes through infancy, childhood, boyhood, youth, middle age and old age. Childhood continues from the 6th to the 12th year of age. Boyhood continues from the 12th to the 19th year of age. Youth lasts from the 20th to 35th year of age. Middle age lasts from the 36th to the 55th year of age. Old age continues from 56th year until death. Of all the stages of life childhood is the most important. Because it is the formative period of life. It is also the first conscious stage of life. Important of childhood: Childhood is the formative period of life. Human character takes its shape in childhood. Man gets deep and lasting impressions in his childhood. Because at this stage mens mind is soft, receptive and plastic. It is just like the potters clay. So human character should be properly shaped in childhood. What should be done in childhood: Childhood is one of the growing stage in mans life. The human beings grow up to 24th year of age. So, the health of the child should be properly looked after. He should be given balance diet. He should be encouraged to from healthy habits like early rising. He should be taught to be neat and clean, to do exercise regularly, to eat, sleep, read and play at habits. He should be kept happy and cheerful. All these will help him to grow healthy in body and mind. Proper and appropriate food should be provided to the childs mind. He should be given the most carefully chosen books to read. he should be given childrens magazines. He should be given interesting and instructive pictures. At this stage, records should be kept of the childs inclination, aptitude, knack, mood, temperament, interest, abilities and his latent qualities. On the basis of these records, the future of the child should be planned. The child should be trained on the basis of this plan. Care of parents and teachers: In the modern system of society and education in India, nobody takes the responsibility of the childs welfare. The parents think that it is a responsibility of the teachers, because the child stays in the school for six hours a day. The teachers think that it is the responsibility of the parents, because the children belong to their parents, and in future the children will come to any use only to their parents and families. But in the interest of society, nation, country and above all mankind all have responsibility for the welfare of the children. Conclusion: It is the foremost duty of the Government to see to the welfare of the children. But in India we find that a lot of children in schools are dying by food-poisoning in the Government Mid-day meal system. The school buildings are defectively constructed. So the buildings breakdown and many children die underneath. the milk-powder that comes to Panchayats and Block offices is said to be put to black-marketing. Government should look to all these affairs. Childhood is the most important period in a mens life. So, the Government should take utmost care of it.

The Controversy Over Land Grazing :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

The Controversy Over Land Grazing Years before ranchers and cowboys were thinking about the cattle business, hundreds of thousands of buffalo once roamed the Great Plains eating everything in their path. They were not worried about overgrazing or abusing the land; all they cared about was surviving to the next day. The buffalo did not ruin the ground they went across, and the grass grew back just fine for the buffalo to eat the next year. This proves that if used properly, livestock grazing will not hurt the land, but will mimic the natural pattern of buffalo. Public land grazing is both logical and beneficial to America's national parks and forests (Savory and Butterfield). The Cost of public land grazing is one point of concern for many people. They believe that the government does not charge enough for the use of public land for livestock grazing. These people feel that the ranchers are getting to use the pasture for a minimal amount. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, "The average rent for non-irrigated range land in the West is about $11.90, while the cost of grazing fees on federal land is about $1.43 per animal per month (AUM)." AUM are initials for Animal-Unit Month. The AUM is the cost of one horse, or five sheep, or one cow with calf at side, for the forage they would eat for one month. The people who want to take away public land grazing do not take into consideration all the time and work the ranchers put in to make the land better. They are constantly riding the pastures, making sure that the pastures are being used properly and that there is no overgrazing taking place. Also, the ranchers make sure that ponds are kept in quality condition and if they are not, it is their job to get the ponds dug out or whatever it takes to make the ponds better. The costs of the repairs are at the expenses of the ranchers. Ranchers do a lot of other things like put up electric fence to insure rotational grazing, cut trails to make paths easier, and more to improve the quality of the land (Smith). According to Mark Smith, a local rancher, "Ranchers could spend over 100 hours working on all these different projects to improve the land if they have a pool rider." A pool rider is somebody who is hired to ride and look after the cows.

The Origins and Development Book

THE ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE This page intentionally left blank THE ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE S I X T H E D I T I O N John Algeo Based on the original work of Thomas Pyles   Australia †¢ Brazil †¢ Japan †¢ Korea †¢ Mexico †¢ Singapore †¢ Spain †¢ United Kingdom †¢ United States The Origins and Development of the English Language: Sixth Edition John Algeo Publisher: Michael Rosenberg Development Editor: Joan Flaherty Assistant Editor: Megan Garvey Editorial Assistant: Rebekah MatthewsSenior Media Editor: Cara Douglass-Graff Marketing Manager: Christina Shea Marketing Communications Manager: Beth Rodio Content Project Manager: Corinna Dibble Senior Art Director: Cate Rickard Barr Production Technology Analyst: Jamie MacLachlan Senior Print Buyer: Betsy Donaghey Rights Acquisitions Manager Text: Tim Sisler Production Service: Pre-Press PMG Rights Acquisitions Manager Image: Mandy Groszko Cover Designe r: Susan Shapiro Cover Image: Kobal Collection Art Archive collection Dagli Orti Prayer with illuminated border, from c. 1480 Flemish manuscriptBook of Hours of Philippe de Conrault, The Art Archive/ Bodleian Library Oxford Compositor: Pre-Press PMG  © 2010, 2005 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced, transmitted, stored, or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, scanning, digitizing, taping, Web distribution, information networks, or information storage and retrieval systems, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For product information and technology assistance, contact us at Cengage Learning Academic Resource Center, 1-800-423-0563 For permission to use material from this text or product, submit all requests online at www. cengage. com/permissions. Further permissions questions can be e-mailed to [email  protected] com Library of Congress Control Number: 2008930433 ISBN-13: 978-1-4282-3145-0 ISBN-10: 1-4282-3145-5 Wadsworth 20 Channel Center Street Boston, MA 02210USA Cengage Learning products are represented in Canada by Nelson Education, Ltd. For your course and learning solutions, visit www. cengage. com. Purchase any of our products at your local college store or at our preferred online store www. ichapters. com. Printed in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 13 12 11 10 09 Preface The Origins and Development of the English Language, Sixth Edition, continues to focus on the facts of language rather than on any of the various contemporary theoretical approaches to the study of those facts.The presentation is that of fairly traditional grammar and philology, so as not to require students to master a new theoretical approach at the same time they are exploring the intricacies of lan guage history. The focus of the book is on the internal history of the English language: its sounds, grammar, and word stock. That linguistic history is, however, set against the social and cultural background of the changing times. The first three chapters are introductory, treating language in general as well as the pronunciation and orthography of present-day English.The succeeding central six chapters are the heart of the book, tracing the history of the language from prehistoric Indo-European days through Old English, Middle English, and early Modern English up to the present time. The final three chapters deal with vocabulary—the meaning, making, and borrowing of words. This sixth edition of a book Thomas Pyles wrote some forty-five years ago preserves the outline, emphasis, and aims of the original, as all earlier editions have. The entire book has, however, been revised for helpfulness to students and ease of reading.The major improvements of the fifth edition have be en retained. A large number of fresh changes have also been made, especially to make the presentation easier to follow. The historical information has been updated in response to evolving scholarship, new examples have been added (although effective older ones have been kept), the bibliography has been revised (including some new electronic resources in addition to print media), and the glossary has been revised for clarity and accuracy. The prose style throughout has been made more contemporary and accessible.The author hopes that such changes will help to make the book more useful for students and instructors alike. v All of the debts acknowledged in earlier editions are still gratefully acknowledged for this one. This edition has especially benefited from the critiques of the following reviewers, whose very helpful suggestions have been followed wherever feasible. James E. Doan, Nova Southeastern University Mark Alan Vinson, Crichton College Jay Ruud, University of Central Arkans as Elena Tapia, Eastern Connecticut State University J. Mark Baggett, Samford UniversityMy former doctoral student and now an admired teacher and Scholar-in-Residence at Shorter College, Carmen Acevedo Butcher, made a major contribution by suggesting improvements in the style and accuracy of the work, by providing new references for the bibliography (including electronic sources), and by reviewing the entire manuscript. My wife, Adele S. Algeo, who works with me on everything I do, has assisted at every step of the revision. Her editorial eye is nonpareil, and her support makes all work possible—and a pleasure. John Algeo vi PREFACE Contents PREFACE v chapter 1 Language and the English Language:An Introduction 1 A Definition of Language 2 Language as System 2 Grammatical Signals 3 Language as Signs 5 Language as Vocal 6 Writing and Speech 6 Gestures and Speech 8 Language as Conventional 8 Language Change 10 The Notion of Linguistic Corruption 10 Language Variation 11 Correctn ess and Acceptability 12 Language as Human 13 Theories of the Origin of Language 13 Innate Language Ability 14 Do Birds and Beasts Really Talk? 14 Language as Communication 15 Other Characteristics of Language 16 Why Study the History of English? 17 For Further Reading 18 vii chapter 2 The Sounds of Current English 20 The Organs of Speech 20Consonants of Current English 21 Vowels of Current English 25 Vowels before [r] 28 Stress 28 Unstressed Vowels 29 Kinds of Sound Change 29 Assimilation: Sounds Become More Alike 29 Dissimilation: Sounds Become Less Alike 30 Elision: Sounds Are Omitted 30 Intrusion: Sounds Are Added 31 Metathesis: Sounds Are Reordered 31 Causes of Sound Change 31 The Phoneme 32 Differing Transcriptions 33 For Further Reading 34 chapter 3 Letters and Sounds: A Brief History of Writing 35 Ideographic and Syllabic Writing 35 From Semitic Writing to the Greek Alphabet 36 The Greek Vowel and Consonant Symbols 36 The Romans Adopt the Greek Alphabet 37Later Developments of the Roman and Greek Alphabets 38 The Use of Digraphs 39 Additional Symbols 39 The History of English Writing 40 The Germanic Runes 40 The Anglo-Saxon Roman Alphabet 40 The Spelling of English Consonant Sounds 41 Stops 42 Fricatives 42 Affricates 43 Nasals 43 Liquids 43 Semivowels 43 The Spelling of English Vowel Sounds 43 Front Vowels 43 Central Vowel 44 Back Vowels 44 Diphthongs 45 Vowels plus [r] 45 viii CONTENTS Unstressed Vowels 45 Spelling Pronunciations and Pronunciation Spellings 46 Writing and History 47 For Further Reading 48 chapter 4 The Backgrounds of English 49 Indo-European Origins 50Indo-European Culture 50 The Indo-European Homeland 50 How Indo-European Was Discovered 51 Language Typology and Language Families 52 Non-Indo-European Languages 53 Main Divisions of the Indo-European Group 55 Indo-Iranian 55 Armenian and Albanian 58 Tocharian 58 Anatolian 59 Balto-Slavic 59 Hellenic 60 Italic 60 Celtic 61 Germanic 62 Cognate Words in the Indo-European Languages 63 Infl ection in the Indo-European Languages 64 Some Verb Inflections 65 Some Noun Inflections 66 Word Order in the Indo-European Languages 67 Major Changes From Indo-European to Germanic 69 First Sound Shift 71 Grimm’s Law 71 Verner’s Law 73The Sequence of the First Sound Shift 74 West Germanic Languages 74 For Further Reading 76 chapter 5 The Old English Period (449–1100) 78 Some Key Events in the Old English Period 78 History of the Anglo-Saxons 79 Britain before the English 79 The Coming of the English 79 The English in Britain 81 CONTENTS ix The First Viking Conquest 82 The Second Viking Conquest 83 The Scandinavians Become English 84 The Golden Age of Old English 84 Dialects of Old English 85 Pronunciation and Spelling 86 Vowels 86 Consonants 87 Handwriting 89 Stress 90 Vocabulary 90 The Germanic Word Stock 90 Gender in Old English 91Grammar, Concord, and Inflection 92 Inflection 92 Nouns 93 i-Umlaut 95 Modern Survivals of Case and Number 96 Modifiers 96 Demonstr atives 96 Adjectives 97 Adverbs 98 Pronouns 99 Personal Pronouns 99 Interrogative and Relative Pronouns 100 Verbs 101 Indicative Forms of Verbs 102 Subjunctive and Imperative Forms 102 Nonfinite Forms 102 Weak Verbs 103 Strong Verbs 103 Preterit-Present Verbs 104 Suppletive Verbs 105 Syntax 105 Old English Illustrated 108 For Further Reading 111 chapter 6 The Middle English Period (1100–1500) 112 Some Key Events in the Middle English Period 112 The Background of the Norman Conquest 113The Reascendancy of English 114 Foreign Influences on Vocabulary 115 Middle English Spelling 116 x CONTENTS Consonants 116 Vowels 118 The Rise of a London Standard 119 Changes in Pronunciation 122 Principal Consonant Changes 122 Middle English Vowels 123 Changes in Diphthongs 124 Lengthening and Shortening of Vowels 126 Leveling of Unstressed Vowels 127 Loss of Schwa in Final Syllables 127 Changes in Grammar 128 Reduction of Inflections 128 Loss of Grammatical Gender 129 Nouns, Pronouns, and Adj ectives 129 The Inflection of Nouns 129 Personal Pronouns 130 Demonstrative Pronouns 132 Interrogative and Relative Pronouns 133Comparative and Superlative Adjectives 133 Verbs 133 Personal Endings 134 Participles 135 Word Order 135 Middle English Illustrated 136 For Further Reading 138 chapter 7 The Early Modern English Period (1500–1800): Society, Spellings, and Sounds 139 Some Key Events in the Early Modern Period 139 The Transition from Middle to Modern English 140 Expansion of the English Vocabulary 140 Innovation of Pronunciation and Conservation of Spelling 141 The Orthography of Early Modern English 141 The Great Vowel Shift 144 Other Vowels 147 Stressed Short Vowels 147 Diphthongs 148 Quantitative Vowel Changes 149Early Modern English Consonants 149 Evidence for Early Modern Pronunciation 151 Stress 151 Scholarly Studies 151 CONTENTS xi Early Modern English Illustrated 152 Spelling 152 Pronunciation 153 For Further Reading 155 chapter 8 The Early Modern English Perio d (1500–1800): Forms, Syntax, and Usage 156 The Study of Language 157 Early Dictionaries 157 Eighteenth-Century Attitudes toward Grammar and Usage 158 Nouns 160 Irregular Plurals 161 His-Genitive 161 Group Genitive 162 Uninflected Genitive 163 Adjectives and Adverbs 163 Pronouns 164 Personal Pronouns 164 Relative and Interrogative Pronouns 168Case Forms of the Pronouns 169 Verbs 170 Classes of Strong Verbs 170 Endings for Person and Number 176 Contracted Forms 177 Expanded Verb Forms 178 Other Verbal Constructions 179 Prepositions 179 Early Modern English Further Illustrated 180 chapter 9 Late Modern English (1800–Present) 181 Some Key Events in the Late Modern Period 181 The National Varieties of English 182 Conservatism and Innovation in American English 183 National Differences in Word Choice 185 American Infiltration of the British Word Stock 186 Syntactical and Morphological Differences 187 British and American Purism 188 Dictionaries and the Facts 189National Dif ferences in Pronunciation 190 British and American Spelling 193 Variation within National Varieties 194 xii CONTENTS Kinds of Variation 194 Regional Dialects 195 Ethnic and Social Dialects 196 Stylistic Variation 198 Variation within British English 198 World English 199 Irish English 199 Indian English 201 The Essential Oneness of All English 202 For Further Reading 202 chapter 10 Words and Meanings 206 Semantics and Change of Meaning 207 Variable and Vague Meanings 208 Etymology and Meaning 208 How Meaning Changes 209 Generalization and Specialization 210 Transfer of Meaning 211 Association of Ideas 212Transfer from Other Languages 212 Sound Associations 213 Pejoration and Amelioration 213 Taboo and Euphemism 214 The Fate of Intensifying Words 217 Some Circumstances of Semantic Change 218 Vogue for Words of Learned Origin 219 Language and Semantic Marking 220 Semantic Change is Inevitable 222 For Further Reading 223 chapter 11 New Words from Old 224 Creating Words 224 Root Creatio ns 224 Echoic Words 225 Ejaculations 225 Combining Words: Compounding 227 Spelling and Pronunciation of Compounds 227 Amalgamated Compounds 229 Function and Form of Compounds 230 Combining Word Parts: Affixing 230 Affixes from Old English 230Affixes from Other Languages 232 CONTENTS xiii Voguish Affixes 233 Shortening Words 235 Clipped Forms 235 Initialisms: Alphabetisms and Acronyms 236 Apheretic and Aphetic Forms 237 Back-Formations 238 Blending Words 239 New Morphemes from Blending 239 Folk Etymology 241 Shifting Words to New Uses 242 One Part of Speech to Another 242 Common Words from Proper Names 243 Sources of New Words 245 Distribution of New Words 245 For Further Reading 246 chapter 12 Foreign Elements in the English Word Stock 247 Popular and Learned Loanwords 248 Latin and Greek Loanwords 248 Latin Influence in the Germanic Period 248Latin Words in Old English 249 Latin Words Borrowed in Middle English Times 250 Latin Words Borrowed in Modern English Times 251 Greek Loanwo rds 251 Celtic Loanwords 252 Scandinavian Loanwords 253 Old and Middle English Borrowings 253 Modern English Borrowings 254 French Loanwords 254 Middle English Borrowings 254 Later French Loanwords 256 Spanish and Portuguese Loanwords 258 Italian Loanwords 259 Germanic Loanwords 260 Loanwords from Low German 260 Loanwords from High German 261 Loanwords from the East 262 Near East 262 Iran and India 263 Far East and Australasia 264 Other Sources 265 Loanwords from African Languages 265Slavic, Hungarian, Turkish, and American Indian 266 xiv CONTENTS The Sources of Recent Loanwords 266 English Remains English 267 For Further Reading 268 Selected Bibliography 269 Glossary 281 Index of Modern English Words and Affixes 301 Index of Persons, Places, and Topics 329 CONTENTS xv This page intentionally left blank CHAPTER  ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ± Language and the 1 English Language A n Introduction The English language has had a remarkable history. When we first catch sight of it in historical records, it is the speech of some none-too-civilized tribes on the continent of Europe along the North Sea.Of course, it had a still earlier history, going back perhaps to somewhere in eastern Europe or western Asia, and long before that to origins we can only speculate about. From those murky and undistinguished beginnings, English has become the most widespread language in the world, used by more peoples for more purposes than any other language on Earth. How the English language changed from being the speech of a few small tribes to becoming the major language of the Earth—and in the process itself changed radically— is the subject of this book.Whatever language we speak—English, Chinese, Hindi, Swahili, or Arapaho— helps to define us personally and identify the community we belong to. But the fact that we can talk at all, the fact that we ha ve a language, is inextricably bound up with our humanity. To be human is to use language, and to talk is to be a person. As the biologist and author Lewis Thomas wrote: The gift of language is the single human trait that marks us all genetically, setting us apart from the rest of life. Language is, like nest-building or hive-making, the universal and biologically specific activity of human beings.We engage in it communally, compulsively, and automatically. We cannot be human without it; if we were to be separated from it our minds would die, as surely as bees lost from the hive. (Lives of a Cell 89) The language gift that is innate in us is not English or indeed any specific language. It is instead the ability to learn and to use a human language. When we say, â€Å"Bread is the staff of life,† we do not mean any particular kind of bread— whole wheat, rye, pumpernickel, French, matzo, pita, or whatever sort. We are talking instead about the kind of thing bread is, wha t all bread has in common.So also, when we say that language is the basis of our humanity, we do not mean any particular language—English, Spanish, Japanese, Tagalog, Hopi, or ASL (American Sign Language of the deaf). Rather we mean the ability to learn and 1 use any such particular language system, an ability that all human beings naturally have. This ability is language in the abstract, as distinct from any individual language system. A DEFINITION OF LANGUAGE A language is a system of conventional vocal signs by means of which human beings communicate. This definition has several important terms, each of which is examined in some detail in the following sections.Those terms are system, signs, vocal, conventional, human, and communicate. LANGUAGE AS SYSTEM Perhaps the most important word in the definition of language is system. We speak in patterns. A language is not just a collection of words, such as we find in a dictionary. It is also the rules or patterns that relate our words to one another. Every language has two levels to its system—a characteristic that is called duality of patterning. One of these levels consists of meaningful units—for example, the words and word parts such as Adam, like, -d, apple, and -s in the sentence â€Å"Adam liked apples. The other level consists of units that have no meaning in themselves, although they serve as components of the meaningful units—for example, the sounds represented by the letters a, d, and m in the word Adam. The distinction between a meaningful word (Adam) and its meaningless parts (a, d, and m) is important. Without that distinction, language as we know it would be impossible. If every meaning had to be represented by a unique, unanalyzable sound, only a few such meanings could be expressed. We have only about 35 basic sounds in English; we have hundreds of thousands of words.Duality of patterning lets us build an immensely large number of meaningful words out of only a handfu l of meaningless sounds. It is perhaps the chief characteristic that distinguishes true human language from the simpler communication systems of all nonhuman animals. The meaningless components of a language are its sound system, or phonology. The meaningful units are its lexis, or vocabulary, and its grammatical system, or morphosyntax. All have patterning. Thus, according to the sound system of Modern English, the consonant combination mb never occurs at the beginning or at the end of any word.As a matter of fact, it did occur in final position in earlier stages of our language, which is why it was necessary in the preceding statement to specify â€Å"Modern English. † Despite the complete absence of the sounds mb at the ends of English words for at least 600 years, we still insist on writing—such is the conservatism of writing habits—the b in lamb, climb, tomb, dumb, and a number of other words. But this same combination, which now occurs only medially in Eng lish (as in tremble), may well occur finally or even initially in other languages.Initial mb is indeed a part of the systems of certain African languages, as in Efik and Ibibio mbakara ‘white man,’ which became buckra in the speech of the Gullahs—black Americans living along the coastal region of Georgia and South Carolina who have preserved a number of words and structural features that their ancestors brought from Africa. It is notable that the Gullahs simplified the initial 2 chapter 1 consonant combination of this African word to conform to the pattern of English speech. The lexis or vocabulary of a language is its least systematic aspect.Grammar is sometimes defined as everything in a language that can be stated in general rules, and lexis as everything that is unpredictable. But that is not quite true. Certain combinations of words, called collocations, are more or less predictable. Mild and gentle are words of very similar meaning, but they go with differe nt nouns: â€Å"mild weather† and â€Å"gentle breeze† are somewhat more likely than the opposite combinations (â€Å"mild breeze† and â€Å"gentle weather†). A case of the flu may be severe or mild; a judgment is likely to be severe or lenient.A â€Å"mild judgment† would be a bit odd, and a â€Å"lenient case of the flu† sounds like a joke. Some collocations are so regular that they are easily predictable. In the following sentence, one word is more probable than any other in the blank: â€Å"In its narrow cage, the lion paced back and . † Although several words are possible in the blank (for example, forward or even ahead), forth is the most likely. Some combinations are completely predictable: â€Å"They ran fro. † Fro is normal in present-day English only in the expression â€Å"to and fro. † The tendency of certain words to collocate or go together is an instance of system in the vocabulary.In the grammatical syste m of English, a very large number of words take a suffix written as -s to indicate plurality or possession. In the latter case, it is a comparatively recent convention of writing to add an apostrophe. Words that can be thus modified are nouns. They fit into certain patterns in English utterances. Alcoholic, for instance, fits into the system of English in the same way as duck, dog, and horse: â€Å"Alcoholics need understanding† (compare â€Å"Ducks need water†), â€Å"An alcoholic’s perceptions are faulty† (compare â€Å"A dog’s perceptions are keen†), and the like.But that word can also modify a noun and be modified by an adverb: â€Å"an alcoholic drink,† â€Å"somewhat alcoholic,† and the like; and words that operate in the latter way are called adjectives. Alcoholic is thus either an adjective or a noun, depending on the way it functions in the system of English. The utterance â€Å"Alcoholic worries† is ambiguous b ecause our system, like all linguistic systems, is not completely foolproof. It might be either a noun followed by a verb (in a newspaper headline) or an adjective followed by a noun.To know which interpretation is correct, we need a context for the expression. That is, we need to relate it to a larger structure. Grammatical Signals The grammatical system of any language has various techniques for relating words to one another within the structure of a sentence. The following kinds of signals are especially important. †¢ Parts of speech are grammatical categories into which we can classify words. The four major ones are noun, verb, adjective, and adverb. Some words elong primarily or solely to one part of speech: child is a noun, seek is a verb, tall is an adjective, and rapidly is an adverb. Other words can function as more than one part of speech; in various meanings, last can be any of the four major parts. English speakers move words about pretty freely from one part of spe ech to another, as when we call a book that is enjoyable to read â€Å"a good read,† language and the english language 3 making a noun out of a verb. Part of knowing English is knowing how words can be shifted in that way and what the limits are to such shifting. Affixes are one or more added sounds or letters that change a word’s meaning and sometimes alter its part of speech. When an affix comes at the front of a word, it is a prefix, such as the en- in encipher, enrage, enthrone, entomb, entwine, and enwrap, which marks those words as verbs. When an affix comes at the back of a word, it is a suffix, such as the -ist in dentist, geologist, motorist, and violinist, which marks those words as nouns. English has a small number of inflectional suffixes (endings that mark distinctions of number, case, person, tense, mood, and comparison).They include the plural -s and the possessive ’s used with nouns (boys, boy’s); the third person singular present tense -s , the past tense and past participle -ed, and the present participle -ing used with verbs (aids, aided, aiding); and the comparative -er and superlative -est used with some adjectives and adverbs (slower, slowest). Inflection (the change in form of a word to mark such distinctions) may also involve internal change, as in the singular and plural noun forms man and men or the present and past verb forms sing and sang.A language that depends heavily on the use of inflections, either internal or affixed, is said to be synthetic; English used to be far more synthetic than it now is. †¢ Concord, or agreement, is an interconnection between words, especially marked by their inflections. Thus, â€Å"The bird sings† and â€Å"The birds sing† illustrate subject-verb concord. (It is just a coincidence that the singular ending of some verbs is identical in form with the plural ending of some nouns. Similarly, in â€Å"this day† both words are singular, and in â€Å"the se days† both are plural; some languages, such as Spanish, require that all modifiers agree with the nouns they modify in number, but in English only this and that change their form to show such agreement. Highly synthetic languages, such as Latin, usually have a great deal of concord; thus Latin adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in number (bonus vir ‘good man,’ boni viri ‘good men’), in gender (bona femina ‘good woman’), and in case (bonae feminae ‘good woman’s’).English once used concord more than it now does. †¢ Word order is a grammatical signal in all languages, though some languages, like English, depend more heavily on it than others do. â€Å"The man finished the job† and â€Å"The job finished the man† are sharply different in meaning, as are â€Å"He died happily† and â€Å"Happily he died. † †¢ Function words are minor parts of speech (for example, articles, au xiliaries, conjunctions, prepositions, pronouns, and certain adverbial particles) that serve as grammatical signals used with word order to serve some of the same functions as inflections.For example, in English the indirect object of a verb can be shown by either word order (â€Å"I gave the dog a bone†) or a function word (â€Å"I gave a bone to the dog†); in Latin it is shown by inflection (canis ‘the dog,’ Cani os dedi ‘To-the-dog a-bone I-gave’). A language like English whose grammar depends heavily on the use of word order and function words is said to be analytic. †¢ Prosodic signals, such as pitch, stress, and tempo, can indicate grammatical meaning. The difference between the statement â€Å"He’s here† and the question 4 chapter 1 â€Å"He’s here? † is the pitch used at the end of the sentence.The chief difference between the verb conduct and the noun conduct is that the verb has a stronger stress on i ts second syllable and the noun on its first syllable. In â€Å"He died happily† and â€Å"He died, happily,† the tempo of the last two words makes an important difference of meaning. All languages have these kinds of grammatical signals available to them, but languages differ greatly in the use they make of the various signals. And even a single language may change its use over time, as English has. LANGUAGE AS SIGNS In language, signs are what the system organizes.A sign is something that stands for something else—for example, a word like apple, which stands for the familiar fruit. But linguistic signs are not words alone; they may also be either smaller or larger than whole words. The smallest linguistic sign is the morpheme, a meaningful form that cannot be divided into smaller meaningful parts. The word apple is a single morpheme; applejack consists of two morphemes, each of which can also function independently as a word. Apples also has two morphemes, but one (-s) can occur only as part of a word. Morphemes that can be used alone as words (such as apple and jack) are called free morphemes.Those that must be combined with other morphemes to make a word (such as -s) are bound morphemes. The word reactivation has five morphemes in it (one free and four bound), as a stepby- step analysis shows: re-activation activate-ion active-ate act-ive Thus reactivation has one free morpheme (act) and four bound morphemes (re-, -ive, -ate, and -ion). A word cannot be divided into morphemes just by sounding out its syllables. Some morphemes, like apple, have more than one syllable; others, like -s, are less than a syllable. A morpheme is a form (a sequence of sounds) with a recognizable meaning.Knowing a word’s early history, or etymology, may be useful in dividing it into morphemes, but the decisive factor is the form-meaning link. A morpheme may, however, have more than one pronunciation or spelling. For example, the regular noun plural endi ng has two spellings (-s and -es) and three pronunciations (an s-sound as in backs, a z-sound as in bags, and a vowel plus z-sound as in batches). Each spoken variation is called an allomorph of the plural morpheme. Similarly, when the morpheme -ate is followed by -ion (as in activateion), the t of -ate combines with the i of -ion as the sound â€Å"sh† (so we might spell the word â€Å"activashon†).Such allomorphic variation is typical of the morphemes of English, even though the spelling does not represent it. Morphemes can also be classified as base morphemes and affixes. An affix is a bound morpheme that is added to a base morpheme, either a prefix (such as re-) or a suffix (such as -s, -ive, -ate, and -ion). Most base morphemes are free (such as language and the english language 5 apple and act), but some are bound (such as the insul- of insulate). A word that has two or more bases (such as applejack) is called a compound. A linguistic sign may be word-sized or sm aller—a free or a bound morpheme.But it may also be larger than a word. An idiom is a combination of words whose meaning cannot be predicted from its constituent parts. One kind of idiom is the combination of a verb with an adverb, a preposition, or both—for instance, turn on (a light), call up (on the telephone), take over (a business), ask for (a job), come down with (an illness), and go back on (a promise). Such an expression is a single semantic unit: to go back on is to ‘abandon’ a promise. But from the standpoint of grammar, several independent words are involved. LANGUAGE AS VOCALLanguage is a system that can be expressed in many ways—by the marks on paper or a computer screen that we call writing, by hand signals and gestures as in sign language, by colored lights or moving flags as in semaphore, and by electronic clicks as in old-fashioned telegraphy. However, the signs of language—its words and morphemes—are basically vocal, or oral-aural, being sounds produced by the mouth and received by the ear. If human communication had developed primarily as a system of gestures (like the sign language of the deaf), it would have been quite different from what it is.Because sounds follow one another sequentially in time, language has a one-dimensional quality (like the letters we use to represent it in writing), whereas gestures can fill the three dimensions of space as well as the fourth dimension of time. The ears can hear sounds coming from any direction, but the eyes can see gestures made only in front of them. The ears can hear through physical barriers, such as walls, which the eyes cannot see through. Speech has both advantages and disadvantages in comparison with gestures; but on the whole, it is undoubtedly superior, as its evolutionary survival demonstrates.Writing and Speech Because writing has become so important in our culture, we sometimes think of it as more real than speech. A little thought, howev er, will show why speech is primary and writing secondary to language. Human beings have been writing (as far as we can tell from the surviving evidence) for at least 5000 years; but they have been talking for much longer, doubtless ever since they were fully human. When writing developed, it was derived from and represented speech, albeit imperfectly (see Chapter 3). Even today there are spoken languages that have no written form.Furthermore, we learn to talk long before we learn to write; any human child without physical or mental limitations will learn to talk, and most human beings cannot be prevented from doing so. It is as though we were â€Å"programmed† to acquire language in the form of speech. On the other hand, it takes a special effort to learn to write. In the past, many intelligent and useful members of society did not acquire that skill, and even today many who speak languages with writing systems never learn to read or write, while some who learn the rudiments of those skills do so only imperfectly.To affirm the primacy of speech over writing is not, however, to disparage the latter. If speaking makes us human, writing makes us civilized. Writing has some 6 chapter 1 advantages over speech. For example, it is more permanent, thus making possible the records that any civilization must have. Writing is also capable of easily making some distinctions that speech can make only with difficulty. We can, for example, indicate certain types of pauses more clearly by the spaces that we leave between words when we write than we ordinarily are able to do when we speak.Grade A may well be heard as gray day, but there is no mistaking the one phrase for the other in writing. Similarly, the comma distinguishes â€Å"a pretty, hot day† from â€Å"a pretty hot day† more clearly than these phrases are often distinguished in actual speech. But the question mark does not distinguish between â€Å"Why did you do it? † (I didn’t he ar you the first time you told me), with rising pitch at the end, and â€Å"Why did you do it? † (You didn’t tell me), with falling terminal pitch. Nor can we show in writing the difference between sound quality ‘tone’ (as in â€Å"The sound quality of the recording was excellent†) nd sound quality ‘good grade’ (as in â€Å"The materials were of sound quality†)—a difference that we signal very easily in speech by strongly stressing sound in the first sentence and the first syllable of quality in the second. Incense ‘enrage’ and incense ‘aromatic substance for burning’ are likewise sharply differentiated in speech by the position of the stress, as sewer ‘conduit’ and sewer ‘one who sews’ are differentiated by vowel quality. In writing we can distinguish those words only in context. Words that are pronounced alike are called homophones.They may be spelled the same, such as bear ‘carry’ and bear ‘animal,’ or they may be distinguished in spelling, such as bare ‘naked’ and either of the bear words. Words that are written alike are called homographs. They may also be pronounced the same, such as the two bear words or tear ‘to rip’ and tear ‘spree’ (as in â€Å"He went on a tear†), or they may be distinguished in pronunciation, such as tear ‘a drop from the eye’ and either of the other two tear words. Homonym is a term that covers either homophones or homographs, that is, a word either pronounced or spelled like another, such as all bear/bare and tear words.Homophones are the basis of puns, as in childish jokes about â€Å"a bear behind† and â€Å"seven days without chocolate make one weak,† whose written forms resolve the ambiguity of their spoken forms. But William Shakespeare was by no means averse to this sort of thing: puns involving tale and tail, whole and hole, hoar and whore, and a good many other homophones (some, like stale and steal, no longer homophonous) occur rather frequently in the writings of our greatest poet. The conventions of writing differ somewhat from those of ordinary speech.For instance, we ordinarily write was not, do not, and would not, although we usually say wasn’t, don’t, and wouldn’t. Furthermore, our choice of words is likely to be different in writing and in everyday speech. But these are stylistic matters, as is also the fact that writing tends to be somewhat more conservative than speech. Representing the spellings of one language by those of another is transliteration, which must not be confused with translation, the interpretation of one language by another. Greek an be transliterated pyr, as in pyromaniac, or translated fire, as in firebug. One language can be written in several orthographies (or writing systems). When the president of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Pasha (later calle d Kemal Ataturk), in 1928 substituted the Roman alphabet for the Arabic in writing Turkish, the Turkish language and the english language 7 language changed no more than time changed when he introduced the Gregorian calendar in his country to replace the Islamic lunar one used earlier. Gestures and SpeechSuch specialized gestures as the indifferent shrug of the shoulders, the admonitory shaking of the finger, the lifting up of the hand in greeting and the waving of it in parting, the widening of the eyes in astonishment, the scornful lifting of the brows, the approving nod, and the disapproving sideways shaking of the head—all these need not accompany speech at all; they themselves communicate. Indeed, there is some reason to think that gestures are older than spoken language and are the matrix out of which it developed. Like language itself, such gestures vary in use and meaning from one culture to another.In India, a sideways wagging of the head indicates that the head-wagg er understands what another person is saying. When gestures accompany speech, they may be more or less unconscious, like the crossed arms of a person talking with another, indicating a lack of openness to the other’s ideas. The study of such communicative body movements is known as kinesics. Our various tones of voice—the drawl, the sneer, the shout, the whimper, the simper, and the like—also play a part in communication (which we recognize when we say, â€Å"I didn’t mind what he said, I just didn’t like the way he said it†).The tones and gestures that accompany speech are not language, but rather parallel systems of communication called paralanguage. Other vocalizations that are communicative, like laughing, crying, groaning, and yelping, usually do not accompany speech as tones of voice do, though they may come before or after it. LANGUAGE AS CONVENTIONAL Writing is obviously conventional because we can represent the same language by more than one writing system.Japanese, for example, is written with kanji (ideographs representing whole words), with either of two syllabaries (writing systems that present each syllable with a separate symbol), or with the letters of the Roman alphabet. Similarly, we could by general agreement reform English spelling (soe dhat, for egzammpul, wee spelt it liek dhis). We can change the conventions of our writing system merely by agreeing to do so. Although it is not so obvious, speech is also conventional. To be sure, all languages share certain natural, inherent, or universal features.The human vocal apparatus (lips, teeth, tongue, and so forth) makes it inevitable that human languages have only a limited range of sounds. Likewise, since all of us live in the same universe and perceive our universe through the same senses with more or less the same basic mental equipment, it is hardly surprising that we should find it necessary to talk about more or less the same things in more or les s similar ways. Nevertheless, the world’s many languages are conventional and generally arbitrary; that is to say, there is usually no connection between the sounds we make and the phenomena of life.A comparatively small number of echoic words imitate, more or less closely, other sounds. Bow-wow seems to English speakers to 8 chapter 1 be a fairly accurate imitation of the sound made by a dog and therefore not to be wholly arbitrary, but it is highly doubtful that a dog would agree, particularly a French dog, which says gnaf-gnaf, or a German one, which says wau-wau, or a Japanese one, which says wung-wung. In Norway cows do not say â€Å"moo† but mmmooo, sheep do not say â€Å"baa† but m? , and pigs do not say â€Å"oink† but noffnoff. Norwegian hens very sensibly say klukk-klukk, though doubtless with a heavy Norwegian accent.The process of echoing such sounds (also called onomatopoeia) is conventional. Most people assume that their language is the best —and so it is for them, because they mastered it well enough for their own purposes so long ago that they cannot remember when or how. It seems to them more logical and sensible, more natural, than the way others talk. But there is nothing really natural about any language, since all these highly systematized and conventionalized methods of human communication must be acquired. There is, for instance, nothing natural in our use of is in such a sentence as â€Å"The woman is busy. The utterance can be made just as effectively without that verb, and some languages do get along perfectly well without it. This use of the verb to be was, as a matter of fact, late in developing and never developed in Russian. To the speaker of Russian it is more â€Å"natural† to say â€Å"Zhenshchina zanyata†Ã¢â‚¬â€ literally, â€Å"Woman busy†Ã¢â‚¬â€which sounds to our ears so much like baby talk that the unsophisticated speaker of English might well (though quite wrongly) conclude that Russian is a childish tongue. The system of Russian also manages to struggle along without the definite article the.As a matter of fact, the speaker of Russian never misses it—nor should we if it had not become conventional with us. To a naive speaker of English, calling the organ of sight eye may seem perfectly natural, and those who call it anything else—like the Germans, who call it Auge, the Russians, who call it glaz, or the Japanese, who call it me—are likely to be regarded as unfortunate because they do not speak languages in which things are properly named. The fact is, however, that eye, which we pronounce exactly like I (a fact that might be cited against it by a foreign speaker), is the name of the organ only in present-day English.It has not always been so. Londoners of the fourteenth century pronounced the word with two syllables, something like â€Å"ee-eh. † If we chose to go back to King Alfred’s day in the late ninth century, we would find yet another form of the word from which Modern English eye developed. The Scots are not being quaint or perverse when they say â€Å"ee† for eye, as in Robert Burns’s poem â€Å"To a Mouse†: Still thou art blest, compared wi’ me! The present only toucheth thee: But och! I backward cast my e’e, On prospects drear!The Scots form is merely a variant of the word—a perfectly legitimate pronunciation that happens not to occur in standard Modern English. Knowledge of such changes within a single language should dissipate the notion that any word is more appropriate than any other word, except in a purely chronological and social sense. language and the english language 9 Language Change Change is normal in language. Every language is constantly turning into something different, and when we hear a new word or a new pronunciation or use of an old word, we may be catching the early stages of a change.Change is natural because a language system is culturally transmitted. Like other conventional matters—such as fashions in clothing, hairstyles, cooking, entertainment, and government—language is constantly being revised. Language evolves more slowly than do some other cultural activities, but its change is continuous and inevitable. There are three general causes of language change. First, words and sounds may affect neighboring words and sounds. For example, sandwich is often pronounced, not as the spelling suggests, but in ways that might be represented as â€Å"sanwich,† â€Å"sanwidge,† â€Å"samwidge,† or even â€Å"sammidge. Such spellings look illiterate, but they represent perfectly normal, though informal, pronunciations that result from the position of a sound within the word. When nearby elements thus influence one another within the flow of speech, the result is called syntagmatic change. Second, words and sounds may be affected by others that are not immediate ly present but with which they are associated. For example, the side of a ship on which it was laden (that is, loaded) was called the ladeboard, but its opposite, starboard, influenced a change in pronunciation to larboard.Then, because larboard was likely to be confused with starboard because of their similarity of sound, it was generally replaced by port. Such change is called paradigmatic or associative change. Third, a language may change because of the influence of events in the world. New technologies like the World Wide Web require new forms like google ‘to search the Internet for information’ and wiki (as in Wikipedia) ‘a Website, database, or software for creating Web sites, especially collaborative ones,’ from the Hawaiian word for ‘fast. New forms of human behavior, however bizarre, require new terms like suicide bomber. New concepts in science require new terms like transposon ‘a transposable gene in DNA. ’ In addition, new co ntacts with persons who use speechways different from our own may affect our pronunciation, vocabulary, and even grammar. Social change thus modifies speech. The documented history of the English language begins about A. D. 700, with the oldest written records. We can reconstruct some of the prehistory before that time, to as early as about 4000 B. C. but the farther back in time we go, the less certain we can be about what the language was like. The history of our language is traditionally divided into three periods: Old English, from the earliest records (or from the Anglo-Saxon settlement of England around A. D. 450) to about 1100; Middle English, approximately from 1100 to 1500; and Modern English, since about 1500. The lines dividing the three periods are based on significant changes in the language about those times, but major cultural changes around 1100 and 1500 also contribute to our sense of new beginnings.These matters are treated in detail in Chapters 5 through 8. The No tion of Linguistic Corruption A widely held notion resulting from a misunderstanding of change is that there are ideal forms of languages, thought of as â€Å"pure,† and that existing languages represent corruptions of earlier ideal ones. Thus, the Greek spoken today is supposed to 10 chapter 1 be a degraded form of Classical Greek rather than what it really is, a development of it. Since the Romance languages are developments of Latin, it would follow from this point of view that they also are corrupt, although this assumption is not usually made.Those who admire or profess to admire Latin literature sometimes suppose that a stage of perfection had been reached in Classical Latin and that every subsequent development in Latin was an irreparable deterioration. From this point of view, the late development of Latin spoken in the early Middle Ages (sometimes called Vulgar, or popular, Latin) is â€Å"bad† Latin, which, strange as it may seem, was ultimately to become â⠂¬Å"good† Italian, French, Spanish, and so on. Because we hear so much about â€Å"pure† English, we might carefully examine this notion.When Captain Frederick Marryat, an English novelist, visited the United States in 1837–1838, he thought it â€Å"remarkable how very debased the language has become in a short period in America,† adding that â€Å"if their lower classes are more intelligible than ours, it is equally true that the higher classes do not speak the language so purely or so classically as it is spoken among the well-educated English. † Both statements are nonsense. The first is based on the captain’s apparent notion that the English language had reached a stage of perfection at the time English-speaking people first settled America.After this, presumably because of the innate depravity of those English settlers who brought their language to the New World, it had taken a steadily downward course, whatever that may mean. One wonder s also precisely how Marryat knew what constituted â€Å"classical† or â€Å"pure† English. It is probable that he was merely attributing certain superior qualities to that type of English that he was accustomed to hear from persons of good social standing in the land of his birth and that he himself spoke. Any divergence was â€Å"debased†: â€Å"My speech is pure; thine, wherein it differs from mine, is corrupt. Language Variation In addition to its change through the years, at any given period of time a language exists in many varieties. Historical, or diachronic, variation is matched by contemporary, or synchronic, variation. The latter is of two kinds: dialects and registers. A dialect is the variety of a language associated with a particular place (Boston or New Orleans), social level (standard or nonstandard), ethnic group (Jewish or African-American), sex (male or female), age grade (teenage or mature), and so on.Most of us have a normal way of using la nguage that is an intersection of such dialects and that marks us as being, for example, a middle-aged, white, cultured, female Charlestonian of old family or a young, urban, working-class, male Hispanic from New York City. Some people have more than one such dialect personality; national politicians, for example, may use a Washingtonian government dialect when they are doing their job and a â€Å"down-home† dialect when they are interacting with their voters.Ultimately, each of us has a unique, personal way of using language, an idiolect, which identifies us for those who know us. A register is the variety of a language used for a particular purpose: sermon language (which may have a distinctive rhythm and sentence melody and include words like brethren and beloved), restaurant-menu language (which is full of â€Å"tasty adjectives† like garden-fresh and succulent), telephone-conversation language (in which the speech of the secondary participant is full of uh-huh, I see, yeah, and language and the english language 11 h), postcard language (in which the subjects of sentences are frequently omitted: â€Å"Having a wonderful time. Wish you were here. †), and e-mail and instant-messaging language with abbreviations like BTDT (been there, done that), CUL8ER (see you later), CYO (see you online), and LOL (laughing out loud). Everyone uses several registers, and the more varied the circumstances under which we talk and write, the more registers we use. The dialects we speak help to define who we are. They tell those who hear us where we come from, our social or ethnic identification, and other such intimate facts about us.The registers we use reflect the circumstances in which we are communicating. They indicate where we are speaking or writing, to whom, via what medium, about what subject, and for what purpose. Dialects and registers provide options—alternative ways of using language. And those options confront us with the question of w hat is the right or best alternative. Correctness and Acceptability The concept of an absolute and unwavering, presumably God-given standard of linguistic correctness (sometimes confused with â€Å"purity†) is widespread, even among the educated.Those who subscribe to this notion become greatly exercised over such matters as split infinitives, the â€Å"incorrect† position of only, and prepositions at the ends of sentences. All these supposed â€Å"errors† have been committed time and again by eminent writers and speakers, so that one wonders how those who condemn them know that they are bad. Robert Lowth, who wrote one of the most influential English grammars of the eighteenth century (A Short Introduction to English Grammar, 1762), was praised by one of his admirers for showing â€Å"the grammatic inaccuracies that have escaped the pens of our most distinguished writers. One would suppose that the language of â€Å"our most distinguished writers† would be good usage. But Lowth and his followers knew, or thought they knew, better; and their attitude survives to this day. This is not, of course, to deny that there are standards of usage, but only to suggest that standards must be based on the usage of speakers and writers of generally acknowledged excellence—quite a different thing from a subservience to the mandates of badly informed â€Å"authorities† who are guided by their own prejudices rather than by a study of the actual usage of educated and accomplished speakers and writers.To talk about â€Å"correctness† in language implies that there is some abstract, absolute standard by which words and grammar can be judged; something is either â€Å"correct† or â€Å"incorrect†Ã¢â‚¬â€and that’s all there is to that. But the facts of language are not so clean-cut. Instead, many students of usage today prefer to talk about acceptability, that is, the degree to which users of a language will ju dge an expression as OK or will let its use pass without noticing anything out of the ordinary. An acceptable expression is one that people do not object to, indeed do not even notice unless it is called to their attention.Acceptability is not absolute, but is a matter of degree; one expression may be more or less acceptable than another. â€Å"If I were in your shoes† may be judged more acceptable than â€Å"If I was in your shoes,† but both are considerably more acceptable than â€Å"If we was in your shoes. † Moreover, acceptability is not abstract, but is related to some group of people whose response it reflects. Thus most 12 chapter 1 Americans pronounce the past-tense verb ate like eight and regard any other pronunciation as unacceptable. Many Britons, on the other hand, pronounce it as â€Å"ett† and find the American preference less acceptable.Acceptability is part of the convention of language use; in talking about it, we must always keep in min d â€Å"How acceptable? † and â€Å"To whom? † LANGUAGE AS HUMAN As noted at the beginning of this chapter, language is a specifically human activity. That statement, however, raises several questions. When and how did human beings acquire language? To what extent is language innate, and to what extent is it learned? How does human language differ from the communication systems of other creatures? We will look briefly at each of these questions.Theories of the Origin of Language The ultimate origin of language is a matter of speculation since we have no real information about it. The earliest languages for which we have records are already in a high stage of development, and the same is true of languages spoken by technologically primitive peoples. The problem of how language began has tantalized philosophical minds, and many theories have been advanced, to which waggish scholars have given such fanciful names as the pooh-pooh theory, the bow-wow theory, the ding-dong theory, and the yo-he-ho theory.The nicknames indicate how seriously the theories need be taken: they are based, respectively, on the notions that language was in the beginning ejaculatory, or echoic (onomatopoeic), or characterized by a mystic appropriateness of sound to sense in contrast to being merely imitative, or made up of grunts and groans emitted in the course of group actions. According to one theory, the early prelanguage of human beings was a mixture of gestures and sounds in which the gestures carried most of the meaning and the sounds were used chiefly to â€Å"punctuate† or amplify the gestures—just the reverse of our use of speech and hand signals.Eventually human physiology and behavior changed in several related ways. The human brain, which had been expanding in size, lateralized—that is, each half came to specialize in certain activities, and language ability was localized in the left hemisphere of most persons. As a consequence, â€Å"handed ness† developed (right-handedness for those with left-hemisphere dominance), and there was greater manual specialization. As people had more things to do with their hands, they could use them less for communication and had to rely more on sounds.Therefore, increasingly complex forms of oral signals developed, and language as we know it evolved. The fact that we human beings alone have vocal language but share with our closest animal kin (the apes) an ability to learn complex gesture systems suggests that manual signs may have preceded language as a form of communication. We cannot know how language really began; we can be sure only of its immense antiquity. However human beings started to talk, they did so long ago, and it was not until much later that they devised a system of making marks on wood, stone, or clay to represent what they said.Compared with language, writing is a newfangled invention, although certainly not less brilliant for being so. language and the english la nguage 13 Innate Language Ability The acquisition of language would seem to be an arduous task. But it is a task that children all over the world seem not to mind in the least. Moreover, children in daily contact with a language other than their â€Å"home† language—that of their parents—readily learn to speak the other language with a native accent. After childhood, however, perhaps in the teen years, most people find it difficult to learn a new language.Young children seem to be genetically equipped with an ability to acquire language. But after a while, that automatic ability atrophies, and learning a new language becomes a chore. To be sure, children of five or so have not acquired all of the words or grammatical constructions they will need as they grow up. But they have mastered the basics of the language they will speak for the rest of their lives. The immensity of that accomplishment can be appreciated by anyone who has learned a second language as an ad ult.It is clear that, although every particular language has to be learned, the ability to acquire and use language is a part of our genetic inheritance and operates most efficiently in our younger years. Do Birds and Beasts Really Talk? Some animals are physically just about as well equipped as humans to produce speech sounds, and some—certain birds, for instance—have in fact been taught to do so. But no other species makes use of a system of sounds even remotely resembling ours. Human language and animal communication are fundamentally different.In the second half of the twentieth century, a trio of chimpanzees—Sarah, Lana, and Washoe—greatly modified our ideas about the linguistic abilities of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom. After several efforts to teach chimps to talk had ended in almost total failure, it was generally concluded that apes lack the cognitive ability to learn language. Some psychologists reasoned, however, that the main pr oblem might be a simple anatomical limitation: human vocal organs are so different from the corresponding ones in apes that the animals cannot produce the sounds of human speech.If they have the mental, but not the physical, ability to talk, then they should be able to learn a language using a medium other than sound. Sarah was taught to communicate by arranging plastic tokens of arbitrary color and shape. Each of the tokens, which were metal-backed and placed on a magnetized board, represented a word in the system, and groups of tokens corresponded to sentences. Sarah learned over a hundred tokens and could manage sentences of the complexity of â€Å"Sarah take banana if-then Mary no give chocolate Sarah† (that is, ‘If Sarah takes a banana, Mary won’t give Sarah any chocolate’).Lana also used word symbols, but hers were on a typewriter connected to a computer. She communicated with people, and they with her via the computer. Typed-out messages appeared on a screen and had to conform exactly to the rules of â€Å"word† order of the system Lana had been taught, if she was to get what she asked for (food, drink, companionship, and the like). Washoe, in the most interesting of these efforts to teach animals a language, was schooled in a gesture language used by the deaf, American Sign Language. 14 chapter 1Her remarkable success in learning to communicate with this quite natural and adaptable system has resulted in its being taught to a number of other chimpanzees and gorillas. The apes learn signs, use them appropriately, combine them meaningfully, and when occasion requires even invent new signs or combinations. For example, one of the apes made up the terms â€Å"candydrink† and â€Å"drinkfruit† to talk about watermelons. The linguistic accomplishment of these apes is remarkable; nevertheless, it is a far cry from the fullness of a human language.The number of signs or tokens the ape learns, the complexity of th e syntax with which those signs are combined, and the breadth of ideas that they represent are all far more restricted than in any human language. Moreover, human linguistic systems have been fundamentally shaped by the fact that they are expressed in sound. Vocalness of language is no mere incidental characteristic but rather is central to the nature of language. We must still say that only human beings have language in the full sense of that term. LANGUAGE AS COMMUNICATIONThe purpose of language is to communicate, whether with others by