Development of the English vocabulary from the 12

Of course English vocabulary underwent some changes through the historical periods. Among the changes of vocabulary we can distinguish losses of words or their meanings, replacements and additions.

Like many other lexical changes losses were connected with events in external history: with the changing conditions of life.

In OE there were many groups of synonyms which differentiation became irrelevant in ME; therefore some of the synonyms fell out of use.

OE here, fierd, werod indicated an armed force, an army. The distinction between them was lost when they were all replaced by the ME borrowings from French army, troop.

Losses could also affect the plane of content.

OE talu meant number, series and story in ME retained only the last meaning.

80 % of the OE words went out of use as they were replaced by other words of the same or similar meanings.

OE clippan - ME callen - NE call

OE niman - ME taken - NE take

Replacements could also occur in the sphere of content: the word was retained but its meaning was changed or was replaced by a new meaning.

OE cniht (boy, servant) ME NE knight

Sometimes the meaning of the word when the thing denoted underwent some kind of changes.

ME carre –wheeled vehicle now indicates a motor car or a part of a train (sleeping car)

NE car Early ME carriage

ME cochte denoted an old form of carriage pulled by 4 horses. NE coach has acquired the meaning of car, carriage in a train. These changes should be classified as additions to the vocabulary.

The OE vocabulary was almost entirely Germanic and on the whole was highly resistant to borrowings, the language of later periods absorbed foreign words and even made use of foreign word components in word formation. The linguistic situation in ME was most favourable for strong foreign influence – 1^st Scandinavian than French. Foreign words were adopted in large numbers in the succeeding periods as well and their sources became more diverse.