Youtube Exercise » English Grammar Homework

B1-B2

Where did English come from? – Claire Bowern

TED-Ed

6.1M views 11 years ago

Warm-up Questions

From the title, what do you think the video will say about the history of English?
What other languages do you think English is connected to? Why?
Do you think English has changed a lot over time? What changes might happen in a language?

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Where did English come from? – Claire Bowern

English changes over time + French influence (00:00 – 01:38)

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1. What is the main idea about English at the start of the video?

English has changed over generations.
English comes directly from Latin.
English is a single language with no dialects.
English has always stayed the same.

2. What event brought many French and Latin words into English?

The Norman invasion of England in 1066
The move to modern-day Ukraine and Russia
The Viking invasion
The invention of writing

3. Old English belongs to which language family?

Celtic
Romance
Semitic
Germanic

Where did English come from? – Claire Bowern

Comparative linguistics + Proto-Germanic (01:38 – 03:02)

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1. What does comparative linguistics focus on to trace language history?

Only famous writers
Only modern slang
Only spelling rules
Grammatical structure, sound changes, and core vocabulary

2. What sound change example is mentioned for Swedish vs. English?

SH became SK in English
P became B in English
SK became SH in English
T became S in English

3. Why do some English words still have SK (like “skirt” and “skull”)?

They were invented in modern times.
They are original Old English words.
They are direct borrowings from Old Norse after the SK to SH shift.
They came from Latin during the Roman Empire.

Where did English come from? – Claire Bowern

Proto-Indo-European + limits of evidence (03:02 – 04:54)

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1. According to the video, why can Proto-Germanic only be reconstructed?

It was never written down.
It was the same as Modern English.
It was spoken only for one year.
It was written in a lost alphabet.

2. Where does the video say Proto-Indo-European was spoken?

In South America
On the Pontic steppe in modern-day Ukraine and Russia
In North Africa
In Australia

3. What is one sound correspondence mentioned when comparing English with Latin?

English has P where Latin has F
English has D where Latin has T
English has no differences from Latin
English has T where Latin has D

Where did English come from? – Claire Bowern

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1. Which sequence matches the video’s timeline for the development of English?

Proto-Indo-European → Modern English → Old English → Proto-Germanic
Modern English → Proto-Indo-European → Old English → Proto-Germanic
Old English → Modern English → Proto-Germanic → Proto-Indo-European
Modern English → Old English → Proto-Germanic → Proto-Indo-European

2. What is the purpose of using systematic sound changes in historical linguistics?

To show consistent patterns that reveal relationships between languages
To prove languages never borrow words
To create new spelling systems
To replace grammar with vocabulary study

3. What does the video suggest about how far back we can trace English with evidence?

Only back to Old English
Back to Proto-Indo-European, but not much further with current evidence
Only back to 1066
All the way to the first human language

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

Where did English come from? – Claire Bowern

The video says English borrowed many words from French, Latin, and Old Norse. What are some borrowed words in your language (or in English) that you know?
Why do you think sound changes often happen in systematic ways (patterns) instead of randomly?
How can learning about Old English and Proto-Indo-European change the way you think about “correct” English today?
The speaker says nearly 3 billion people use words shaped by 6,000 years of history. What does that idea suggest about communication between different dialects and languages?