Лекции по "Английскому языку"

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT 1

Explain the etymology of the following words. Write them out in three columns: a) fully assimilated words; b) partially assimilated words; c) unassimilated words. Explain the reasons for your choice in each case.

Pen, hors d'oeuvre, ballet, beet, butter, skin, take, cup, police, distance, monk, garage, phenomenon, wine, large, justice, lesson, criterion, nice, coup d'état, sequence, gay, port, river, loose, autumn, low, uncle, law, convenient, lunar, experiment, skirt, bishop, regime, eau-de-Cologne.

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT 2

Explain the etymology of the italicized words; identify the stage of assimilation.

1. Obviously, chère madame, the thief would take care to recover the money before he returned the dog. 2. Heyward went to the kitchen for a glass of milk. 3. It was a commercial coup d'état which sent Supranational (bank) shares soaring on the New York and London markets. 4. Arriving in Paris always causes me pain, even when I have been away for only a short while. It is a city which I never fail to approach with expectation and leave with disappointment. 5. Dave raised his hand when he saw me with the dignified gesture of a patriarch greeting the appearance of an expected sign. 6. Negotiations began but failed, not least because the students presented non-negotiable demands. After two days the administration summoned state police, later unwisely supplemented by National Guard. An assault was launched upon the building. 7. Madge seemed slimmer and more piquant, even her movements were more gracious. 8. Leaving her desk, Edwina walked a few paces to one of the large plate glass windows, part of the street frontage of the building. What she saw amazed her. A long queue of people, four or five abreast, extended from the main front door past the entire length of the building. 9. He regretted their lost tête-à-tête. 10.1 lunched with Betty today, and she was telling me about a place they went to, on Lake Como. They had fresh peaches at every meal, and at night the fishermen go out in boats and sing under your windows. Doesn't it sound romantic?

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT 3

State the origin of the following etymological doublets. Compare their meanings and explain why they are called "etymological doublets".

1. captain— chieftan, canal— channel, cart — chart.

2. shirt — skirt, shriek — screech, shrew — screw.

3. gaol — jail, corpse — corps, travel — travail.

4. shadow — shade, off — of, dike —  ditch.

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT 4

In the following sentences find one of a pair of etymological doublets and name the missing member of the pair.

1. I led Mars (a dog) into the shadow of the building and looked around me. 2. "Unreliable", he said, "those fancy locks. Always getting jammed, aren't they?" 3. The children hung on to her skirts and asked to play with them. 4. Nurse Lawson had been sent to the hostel to clean aprons for all of us. 5. When the four o'clock race at Nottingham was won by Hal Adair, cool channels of sweat ran down my back and sides. 6. The lunch was late because Steven had had an extra big clinic at his London hospital. 7. He was attached to the ward which specialized in head injuries and was called 'Corelli'. 8. A story was sometimes told about a teardown crew which, as a practical joke, worked in spare time to disassemble a car, belonging to one of their members. 9. Why, isn't he in jail? 10. Canvas sacks containing cash were being delivered from an armoured truck outside, the money accompanied by two armed guards.

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT 5

Classify the following borrowings according to the sphere of human activity they represent. What type of borrowings are these?

Television, progress, football, grapefruit, drama, philosophy, rugby, sputnik, tragedy, coca-cola, biology, medicine, atom, primadonna, ballet, cricket, hockey, chocolate, communism, democracy.

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT 6

VII. Read the following text. Copy out the international words. State to what sphere of human activity they belong.

In the past 20 years there has been a considerable increase in the number of new playwrights in Britain and this has been encouraged by the growth of new theatre companies. In 1956 the English Stage Company began productions with the object of bringing new writers into the theatre and providing training facilities for young actors, directors and designers; a large number of new dramatists emerged as a result of the company productions. Regional repertory theatres, too, have helped contemporary dramatists by including new plays in their programmes. Among the dramatists whose work was first produced by the English Stage Company are John Osborne, Arnold Wesker, Edward Bonds, John Arden and David Storey. Television has been an important factor in the emergence of other dramatists who write primarily for it; both the BBC and IBA transmit a large number of single plays each year as well as drama series and serials. (From The Promotion of the Arts in Britain)

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT 7

Read the following jokes. Identify examples of international words.

1. Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. 2. A psychologist is a man who watches everybody rise when a beautiful girl enters the room. 3. An expert is a man who knows a great deal about very little; and who goes on knowing more and more about less and less until finally he knows practically everything about nothing; whereas a reviewer is a man who knows very little about a great deal and keeps on knowing less and less about more and more until finally he knows practically nothing about everything.

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT 8

State the origin of the following translation-loans. Give more examples.

Five-year plan, wonder child, masterpiece, first dancer, collective farm, fellow-traveller.

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT 9

What is the difference between the words in the following pairs? Analyse the examples and prove that etymological and stylistic characteristics of words are closely interrelated.

Motherly — maternal, fatherly — paternal, childish — infantile, daughterly — filial, womanly — feminine, brotherly — fraternal, to begin — to commence, to wish — to desire, to love — to adore, to build — to construct, to go on — to proceed, to take part in — to participate.

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT 10

Supply the adjectives of Latin origin corresponding to the following nouns. Comment upon their stylistic characteristics.

Nose, tooth, sun, hand, child, town, sea, life, youth.

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT 11

Describe the etymology of the following words. Comment upon their stylistic characteristics. If necessary use an etymological dictionary.

To rise — to mount — to ascend, to ask — to question — to interrogate, fire — flame — conflagration, fear — terror — trepidation, holy — sacred — consecrated, time — age — era, goodness — virtue — probity.

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT 12

Read the following extract. State the etymology of the italicized words. Comment upon their stylistic characteristics.

The Oxford accent exists, but it defies definition. It is not, as the French think, the kind of English which is spoken within a twenty mile radius of the city. Indeed, it is not an accent at all, but a manner of speaking. In particular it is a manner of pausing in your speech, of pausing not at the end of sentences, where you might be interrupted, but in the middle of sentences. Nobody, it is to be hoped, will be so rude as to interrupt you when you are in the middle of a sentence. So pause there, to decide what your next sentence is going to be. Then, having decided, move quickly forward to it without a moment's pause at the full stop. Yes, jumping your full stops — that is the Oxford accent. Do it well, and you will be able to talk forever. Nobody will have the chance of breaking in and stealing the conversation from you. (From Oxford Life by D. Balsden)

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT 13

Read the following text. What words were borrowed into English during the period described in it? Describe the borrowings of this period. Comment upon the etymological and stylistic peculiarities of the italicized words.

The first date in English History is 55 B. C., in which year Julius Caesar (the memorable Roman Emperor) landed, like all other successful invaders of these islands, at Thanet. This was in the Olden Days, when the Romans were top nation on account of their classical education, etc. Julius Caesar advanced very energetically, but the Ancient Britons fought as heroically under their dashing queen Woadicea, as they did later under their good Queen Victoria. Julius Caesar was therefore compelled to invade Britain again the following year (54 B. C., not 56, owing to the peculiar Roman method of counting) and having defeated the Ancient Britons by unfair means, set the memorable Latin sentence 'Veni, Vidi, Vici' which the Romans, who were all very well educated, constructed correctly. The Britons, however, who of course still used the old pronunciation, understanding him to have called them 'Weeny, Weedy, Weaky' — lost heart and gave up the struggle. (From 1066 and All That by C. W. Sellar, R. J. Yeatman)