Learn English With Videos (Mario Vergara), 065: Where Did English Come From?

065: Where Did English Come From?

When we talk about English, we often think of it as a single language, but what do the dialects spoken in dozens of countries around the world have in common with each other, or with the writings of Chaucer? And how are any of them related to the strange words in Beowulf? The answer is that like most languages, English has evolved through generations of speakers, undergoing major changes over time.

By undoing these changes, we can trace the language from the present day back to its ancient roots. While modern English shares many similar words with Latin-derived romance languages, like French and Spanish, most of those words were not originally part of it.

Instead, they started coming into the language with the Norman invasion of England in 1066. When the French-speaking Normans conquered England and became its ruling class, they brought their speech with them, adding a massive amount of French and Latin vocabulary to the English language previously spoken there.

Today, we call that language Old English. This is the language of Beowulf. It probably doesn't look very familiar, but it might be more recognizable if you know some German. That's because Old English belongs to the Germanic language family, first brought to the British Isles in the 5th and 6th centuries by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.

The Germanic dialects they spoke would become known as Anglo-Saxon. Viking invaders in the 8th to 11th centuries added more borrowings from Old Norse into the mix. It may be hard to see the roots of modern English underneath all the words borrowed from French, Latin, Old Norse and other languages.

But comparative linguistics can help us by focusing on grammatical structure, patterns of sound changes, and certain core vocabulary. For example, after the 6th century, German words starting with “p,” systematically shifted to a “pf” sound while their Old English counterparts kept the “p” unchanged. In another split, words that have “sk” sounds in Swedish developed an “sh” sound in English.

There are still some English words with “sk,” like “skirt,” and “skull,” but they're direct borrowings from Old Norse that came after the “sk” to “sh” shift. These examples show us that just as the various Romance languages descended from Latin, English, Swedish, German, and many other languages descended from their own common ancestor known as Proto-Germanic spoken around 500 B.C.E. Because this historical language was never written down, we can only reconstruct it by comparing its descendants, which is possible thanks to the consistency of the changes.

This is the reconstructed ancestor of the Indo-European family that includes nearly all languages historically spoken in Europe, as well as large parts of Southern and Western Asia. And though it requires a bit more work, we can find the same systematic similarities, or correspondences, between related words in different Indo-European branches.

Comparing English with Latin, we see that English has “t” where Latin has “d”, and “f” where latin has “p” at the start of words. Some of English's more distant relatives include Hindi, Persian and the Celtic languages it displaced in what is now Britain.

Proto-Indo-European itself descended from an even more ancient language, but unfortunately, this is as far back as historical and archeological evidence will allow us to go. Many mysteries remain just out of reach, such as whether there might be a link between Indo-European and other major language families, and the nature of the languages spoken in Europe prior to its arrival.

But the amazing fact remains that nearly 3 billion people around the world, many of whom cannot understand each other, are nevertheless speaking the same words shaped by 6000 years of history.

065: Where Did English Come From? 065: Woher kommt die englische Sprache? 065: ¿De dónde viene el inglés? 065: Da dove viene l'inglese? 065：英語はどこから来たの？ 065: Skąd się wziął angielski? 065: De onde veio o inglês? 065: Откуда взялся английский язык? 065: İngilizce Nereden Geldi? 065: 英语从哪里来？

When we talk about English, we often think of it as a single language, but what do the dialects spoken in dozens of countries around the world have in common with each other, or with the writings of Chaucer? ||||||||||||||||||方言||||||||||||||||||||喬叟 ||||||||||||||||||||||||in different parts of|||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||チョーサーの著作私たちが英語について話すとき、私たちはそれを単一の言語と考えることがよくありますが、世界中の数十か国で話されている方言は、互いに、またはチョーサーの文章とどのように共通していますか？ Quando falamos de inglês, muitas vezes pensamos nele como um único idioma, mas o que os dialetos falados em dezenas de países ao redor do mundo têm em comum entre si ou com os escritos de Chaucer? Когда мы говорим об английском языке, мы часто думаем о нем как о едином языке, но что общего между диалектами, на которых говорят в десятках стран мира, или с произведениями Чосера? And how are any of them related to the strange words in Beowulf? ||||||||||||ベーオウルフそして、それらのどれかがベオウルフの奇妙な言葉とどのように関連していますか？ E como algum deles está relacionado com as palavras estranhas em Beowulf? The answer is that like most languages, English has evolved through generations of speakers, undergoing major changes over time. ||||||||||||||經歷|||| |||||||||進化した|||||経ている|||| A resposta é que, como a maioria dos idiomas, o inglês evoluiu ao longo de gerações de falantes, passando por grandes mudanças ao longo do tempo.

By undoing these changes, we can trace the language from the present day back to its ancient roots. |還原|||||||||||||||| |元に戻すことで|||||||||||||||| これらの変更を元に戻すことで、現在の言語をその古代のルーツまでさかのぼることができます。 Ao desfazer essas mudanças, podemos rastrear a linguagem desde os dias atuais até suas raízes antigas. While modern English shares many similar words with Latin-derived romance languages, like French and Spanish, most of those words were not originally part of it. 現代英語は、フランス語やスペイン語などのラテン語由来のロマンス諸語と多くの類似した単語を共有していますが、それらの単語のほとんどは元々その一部ではありませんでした。 Embora o inglês moderno compartilhe muitas palavras semelhantes com as línguas românicas derivadas do latim, como o francês e o espanhol, a maioria dessas palavras originalmente não fazia parte dele.

Instead, they started coming into the language with the Norman invasion of England in 1066. 代わりに、彼らは1066年にノルマンのイングランド侵攻でこの言語に参入し始めました。 Em vez disso, eles começaram a entrar no idioma com a invasão normanda da Inglaterra em 1066. When the French-speaking Normans conquered England and became its ruling class, they brought their speech with them, adding a massive amount of French and Latin vocabulary to the English language previously spoken there. ||||||||||||||||||||huge||||||||||||| ||||||||||支配する||||||||||||||||||||||| フランス語を話すノルマン人がイングランドを征服し、支配階級になったとき、彼らは彼らと一緒にスピーチを持ち込み、以前にそこで話されていた英語に大量のフランス語とラテン語の語彙を追加しました。 Quando os normandos de língua francesa conquistaram a Inglaterra e se tornaram sua classe dominante, eles trouxeram seu discurso com eles, acrescentando uma enorme quantidade de vocabulário francês e latim ao idioma inglês anteriormente falado lá.

Today, we call that language Old English. 今日、私たちはその言語を古英語と呼んでいます。 This is the language of Beowulf. |||||《貝奧武夫》これはベオウルフの言語です。 Esta é a língua do Beowulf. It probably doesn't look very familiar, but it might be more recognizable if you know some German. ||||||||||||||know|| あまり馴染みがないように見えるかもしれませんが、ドイツ語を知っていればもっとわかりやすいかもしれません。 Provavelmente não parece muito familiar, mas pode ser mais reconhecível se você souber um pouco de alemão. That's because Old English belongs to the Germanic language family, first brought to the British Isles in the 5th and 6th centuries by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. |||||||||||||||不列顛群島||||||||||撒克遜人||朱特人 |||||||||||||||イギリス諸島|||||||||アングル人|サクソン人||ジュート族これは、古英語がゲルマン語派に属しており、5世紀から6世紀にかけて、アングル人、サクソン人、ジュート人によってイギリス諸島に最初に持ち込まれたためです。 Isso porque o inglês antigo pertence à família de línguas germânicas, trazida pela primeira vez para as Ilhas Britânicas nos séculos 5 e 6 pelos anglos, saxões e jutos.

The Germanic dialects they spoke would become known as Anglo-Saxon. |||||||||アングロ|サクソン人彼らが話したゲルマン方言は、アングロサクソン人として知られるようになるでしょう。 Os dialetos germânicos que eles falavam se tornariam conhecidos como anglo-saxões. Viking invaders in the 8th to 11th centuries added more borrowings from Old Norse into the mix. |侵略者|||||||||借用語|||古ノルド語||| 8世紀から11世紀のバイキングの侵略者は、古ノルド語からの借用をさらに増やしました。 Os invasores vikings dos séculos 8 a 11 adicionaram mais empréstimos do nórdico antigo à mistura. It may be hard to see the roots of modern English underneath all the words borrowed from French, Latin, Old Norse and other languages. |||||||||||在...之下||||借用的|||||古諾爾斯語||| フランス語、ラテン語、古ノルド語、その他の言語から借用したすべての単語の下に、現代英語のルーツを理解するのは難しいかもしれません。 Pode ser difícil ver as raízes do inglês moderno por trás de todas as palavras emprestadas do francês, latim, nórdico antigo e outras línguas.

But comparative linguistics can help us by focusing on grammatical structure, patterns of sound changes, and certain core vocabulary. ||比較語言學|||||||||||||||| |比較言語学||||||||||||||||| Mas a lingüística comparativa pode nos ajudar focando na estrutura gramatical, padrões de mudanças sonoras e certo vocabulário básico. For example, after the 6th century, German words starting with “p,” systematically shifted to a “pf” sound while their Old English counterparts kept the “p” unchanged. |||||||||||||||||||||對應詞語|||| |||||||||||||||プフ|||||||||| たとえば、6世紀以降、「p」で始まるドイツ語の単語は体系的に「pf」の音にシフトしましたが、古英語の対応する単語は「p」を変更しませんでした。 Por exemplo, após o século 6, as palavras alemãs que começam com “p” mudaram sistematicamente para um som “pf”, enquanto suas contrapartes do inglês antigo mantiveram o “p” inalterado. In another split, words that have “sk” sounds in Swedish developed an “sh” sound in English. 別の分割では、スウェーデン語で「sk」の音がする単語は、英語で「sh」の音が発生しました。 Em outra divisão, palavras que têm sons de “sk” em sueco desenvolveram um som de “sh” em inglês.

There are still some English words with “sk,” like “skirt,” and “skull,” but they're direct borrowings from Old Norse that came after the “sk” to “sh” shift. |||||||||||頭蓋骨||||||||||||スカ||| 「スカート」や「頭蓋骨」など、「sk」が付いた英語の単語はまだいくつかありますが、これらは「sk」から「sh」へのシフト後に古ノルド語から直接借りたものです。 Ainda existem algumas palavras em inglês com “sk”, como “saia” e “skull”, mas são empréstimos diretos do nórdico antigo que vieram depois da mudança de “sk” para “sh”. В английском языке до сих пор есть слова с "sk", например, "skirt" и "skull", но это прямые заимствования из древненорвежского языка, которые появились после перехода от "sk" к "sh". These examples show us that just as the various Romance languages descended from Latin, English, Swedish, German, and many other languages descended from their own common ancestor known as Proto-Germanic spoken around 500 B.C.E. |||||||||||||||||||||演變而來|||||祖先||||||||| |||||||||||派生した||||||||||||||||||原始ゲルマン語|||||| これらの例は、さまざまなロマンス諸語がラテン語、英語、スウェーデン語、ドイツ語、および他の多くの言語が紀元前500年頃に話されたゲルマン祖語として知られる共通の祖先から派生したのと同じように示しています。 Esses exemplos nos mostram que, assim como as várias línguas românicas descendem do latim, inglês, sueco, alemão e muitas outras línguas descendem de seu próprio ancestral comum conhecido como proto-germânico falado por volta de 500 aC Because this historical language was never written down, we can only reconstruct it by comparing its descendants, which is possible thanks to the consistency of the changes. ||||||||||||||||後代語言|||||||||| ||||||||||||||||descendants|||||||||| |||||||||||再構築する||||||||||||||| この歴史的言語は決して書き留められなかったので、私たちはその子孫を比較することによってのみそれを再構築することができます。これは変更の一貫性のおかげで可能です。 Como essa linguagem histórica nunca foi escrita, só podemos reconstruí-la comparando seus descendentes, o que é possível graças à consistência das mudanças.

We can even use the same process to go back one step further, and trace the origins of Proto-Germanic to a language called Proto-Indo-European, spoken about 6000 years ago on the Pontic steppe in modern day Ukraine and Russia. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||ポンティック|ステップ地帯|||||| 同じプロセスを使用してさらに一歩戻り、約6000年前に現代のウクライナとロシアのポントス草原で話されたゲルマン祖語の起源をインドヨーロッパ祖語と呼ばれる言語にまでさかのぼることもできます。 Podemos até usar o mesmo processo para voltar um passo adiante e rastrear as origens do proto-germânico até uma língua chamada proto-indo-europeu, falada há cerca de 6.000 anos na estepe pôntica na atual Ucrânia e Rússia.

This is the reconstructed ancestor of the Indo-European family that includes nearly all languages historically spoken in Europe, as well as large parts of Southern and Western Asia. |||再構築された||||||||||||||||||||||||| これは、インド・ヨーロッパ語族の再建された祖先であり、ヨーロッパで歴史的に話されているほぼすべての言語と、南アジアおよび西アジアの大部分が含まれています。 Este é o ancestral reconstruído da família indo-européia que inclui quase todas as línguas historicamente faladas na Europa, bem como grandes partes do sul e oeste da Ásia. And though it requires a bit more work, we can find the same systematic similarities, or correspondences, between related words in different Indo-European branches. ||||||||||||||||對應關係|||||||| ||||||||||||||||対応関係|||||||| そして、もう少し作業が必要ですが、異なるインド・ヨーロッパ語族の関連する単語の間で、同じ体系的な類似性または対応を見つけることができます。 E embora exija um pouco mais de trabalho, podemos encontrar as mesmas semelhanças sistemáticas, ou correspondências, entre palavras relacionadas em diferentes ramos indo-europeus.

Comparing English with Latin, we see that English has “t” where Latin has “d”, and “f” where latin has “p” at the start of words. 英語とラテン語を比較すると、単語の先頭にラテン語が「d」である場合は英語に「t」があり、ラテン語に「p」がある場合は「f」であることがわかります。 Some of English's more distant relatives include Hindi, Persian and the Celtic languages it displaced in what is now Britain. ||英語の||||||||||||||||| 英語のより遠い親戚の中には、ヒンディー語、ペルシア語、そして現在の英国で置き換えられたケルト語が含まれます。 Alguns dos parentes mais distantes do inglês incluem o hindi, o persa e as línguas celtas que ele substituiu no que hoje é a Grã-Bretanha.

Proto-Indo-European itself descended from an even more ancient language, but unfortunately, this is as far back as historical and archeological evidence will allow us to go. ||||源自|||||||||||||||||考古學的|||||| インド・ヨーロッパ祖語自体はさらに古代の言語の子孫ですが、残念ながら、これは歴史的および考古学的な証拠が私たちに行くことを可能にする限り遡ります。 O próprio proto-indo-europeu descende de uma língua ainda mais antiga, mas, infelizmente, isso é o mais antigo que as evidências históricas e arqueológicas nos permitem ir. Сам протоиндоевропейский язык произошел от еще более древнего языка, но, к сожалению, это настолько далекое прошлое, насколько нам позволяют исторические и археологические данные. Many mysteries remain just out of reach, such as whether there might be a link between Indo-European and other major language families, and the nature of the languages spoken in Europe prior to its arrival. |謎團|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| インド・ヨーロッパ語族と他の主要な言語族との間に関連があるかどうか、到着前にヨーロッパで話されていた言語の性質など、多くの謎はまだ手の届かないところにあります。 Muitos mistérios permanecem fora de alcance, como se pode haver uma ligação entre o indo-europeu e outras grandes famílias linguísticas, e a natureza das línguas faladas na Europa antes de sua chegada. Многие загадки остаются просто недосягаемыми, например, существует ли связь между индоевропейским и другими основными языковыми семьями, и какова природа языков, на которых говорили в Европе до ее появления.

But the amazing fact remains that nearly 3 billion people around the world, many of whom cannot understand each other, are nevertheless speaking the same words shaped by 6000 years of history. |||||||||||||||||||||||||塑造|||| しかし、世界中の30億人近くの人々が、お互いを理解できないにもかかわらず、6000年の歴史によって形作られた同じ言葉を話しているという驚くべき事実が残っています。