The English language is a mix of Germanic and Celtic origins. This means that it developed from the same family as French, Italian, Spanish, Welsh, and Irish. The structure of English is similar to French with the addition of a few words and phrases that are unique to it. However, there are also many words in English that are similar to those in other languages because they have been borrowed from them over time.
The English language is a complex system that combines the grammar of German, French, Latin, Greek and many other languages. This article explores the evolution of the English language from its origins in Old English to present day. See also, what is English language.
There are several types of languages, but English is the most commonly used one. This article will give you a basic introduction to some of the most important features of English.
In an essay published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, linguist Mark Pagel compares languages to organisms. The English language, he says, is a living organism that has evolved over time to suit its environment. English has not just been shaped by a set of people; it’s also shaped by its place and purpose in society.
12 Types of Language
1. Onomatopoeia (noun): a word whose sound bears some resemblance to its referent, as in “thud” for a soft knock or “buzz” for the buzzing of bees.
2. Alliteration: using two similar-sounding words at close association with each other, such as “happy birthday” and “goose bumps.”
3. Borrowing nouns from Greek mythology: “gnome is the Old English word for a mischievous spirit sitting at the bottom of pots.”
4. Lorem ipsum: Latin text which means “look here” and has been used to illustrate copy (and non-copy) texts since Antiquity, generally without attributing any particular written source. It was also used by George Orwell in his 1945 novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four”, where it appears as “Lorem Ipsum”.
5. Tag cloud: A graphic representation of a large number of categories, so that one can type in explicit keywords (e.g., “green”) or words associated with the objects being discussed and see where they cluster by colour on the computer screen without having to scroll through them all individually. It is commonly given as an image formed from characters clustered together; another variation used equivalents instead of list marks and shows the links between the words in a giant spiderweb.
6. Verb-noun compound or verb+verb combination: where a single integral word acts as both noun and an auxiliary to other verbs, such as “provided” meaning don’t provide (e.g., I did not have them provided for me). As Jeremy Bentham said, “To make all possible use of men’s faculties; this is godlike”.
7. Met onymy: where the meaning of a word is indirectly referred to by another element, such as “light” referring to a state or an activity (e.g., making my way through the dark).
8. Hyperbole: exaggerated language used in exaggeration and metonymy; e.g., “See how running water dashes against this rock!” -– Aristotle, Rhetoric vs storm metaphor The prefix hypo- means under, and hyperbole are when we exaggerate the effect of something. For example, that large coal mine could be said to have “flooded” a village or town as it filled up with water in stormy weather:
9. Anecdote: An account of amusing anecdotes from personal experience; e.g., an anecdote about one’s latest grandchild (“Or her odd socks, whatever she happens to be wearing”) or an anecdote about the Queen (“She’s so modest, it doesn’t matter whether she wears knickers or a sarong”) is being lodged.
10. Metonymy: where one thing is used to signify another (Eg sledge hammer) Etymology of “Barking mad” Is this completely true? Reply and/or improve on what other people have said in their answers below with any comments that you would care to make… I think ‘Barking mad’ is just a sort of colloquial version of the current phrase “going bonkers”. Both come from Shakespeare’s play, ‘The Merry Wives Of Windsor’, where Falstaff makes this wistful statement (in II.iii) about wasting his time and riches on idle dreams: …yet if it so fall out, the dog and I shall catch cold: for he’s going about with a glove to this very hand; an old coat in his mouth, that looks as though he eat cobwebs.
Barking mad is just another way of saying ‘having one’s wits gone’. As you point out above (and elsewhere) The Scroyle Syndrome is also referred to as “going bonkers”, even though the word properly means “A hallucinatory or psychotic state of insanity where a person becomes irrational and uncontrollable. The tendency to obsess on something, usually an idea or organization (with negative connotations).to behave in a strange erratic manner because you are out of your mind”. It is also sometimes used as slang for nuclear fallout effects – from what I know, it has no other commonly use- so that’s not necessarily incorrect… But why does everyone feel compelled to poke holes in it? It’s not like the phrase “Sherlock” has been around for quite a long time without some controversy of its own… whatever people believe about being ‘okay with Sherlock’, at least everybody on this site is entitled to discuss, agree and disagree – all publicly – which does make life more interesting, even if you’re underwhelmed by answers. The SIS’s other members are more than welcome to also discuss whether or not being ‘Sherlocked’ is like a bad experience there, just as everyone here seems keen (I might be exaggerating this post) to write about their likes and dislikes of the show. Given that we’re on “the same side” in our dis-liking for the word signifying exposure – at least from my perspective – I’d certainly rather go with it. For my very stilted view of the practice, in eye-glazing adherence to laws and rules, I’m happy enough with that even if they happen to be put into effect; lies fall under social conventions because we’ve decided so – partly by use, but also (at a higher level) socially engineered as well! [What about you?]
All in all, I’ve said enough for now. I’ll get back to you when it’s time to stop – if you want me to, of course. If not, that’s fine too. You May Like learn English, how to learn English.