To the editor: Language, by its very nature, is dynamic, reflecting modifications in society. English is an ideal instance. (“English words have invaded Korea. The government is fighting back,” Feb. 3)
Previous English, utilized in a lot of present-day Britain earlier than the yr 1066, was based mostly on West Germanic dialects with influences of Celtic and Previous Norse. After the Norman conquest of Britain in 1066, many French loanwords infiltrated the language, when French grew to become an indication of status.
Many of those phrases are associated to meals. As a substitute of consuming an animal akin to a “cow,” one ate “boeuf,” or beef. Sheep grew to become “mouton,” or mutton. About one-third of English phrases have their origin in French — income, faith, pardon, military, robe, style and abdomen are simply a number of examples.
The South Korean authorities is preventing an uphill battle in making an attempt to maintain English loanwords from broad use. Language transforms. (See, I did it there!)
Wendy Prober-Cohen, Tarzana
