Date of Award
5-1990
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
English
First Advisor
Dr. Thomas P. Bonfiglio
Abstract
For over a century, the development of English, especially its two waves of foreign influence during the period between late OE to ME, has been a controversial area. This paper attempts to examine the two instances of foreign influence exerted upon English using several important notions taken from pidgin-creole and bilingual theories to provide more realistic pictures of the two language contact situations. The paper does not provide a clear-cut conclusion, but rather it undoes age-old binary models, e.g., pro-Germanic vs. pro-Romance, introduces new insights, and raises questions regarding sociolinguistic aspects of language contact and the transformation of English during the period.
Recommended Citation
Ayano, Seiki, "Undoing ideologies in diachronic studies of English : towards more realistic pictures of language changes from late OE to ME" (1990). Master's Theses. 553.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/masters-theses/553