Subject and aims of the course History of the English language.

Requirements to the examination on the History of the English language.

1. Subject and aims of the course History of the English language.

2. Origin of English. Proto-Germanic parent language.

3. The settlement of Britain by the Germanic tribes as a starting point of the independent history of English.

4. Old English dialects. Their character.

1. Old and modern Germanic languages.

2. Chronological division of the History of the English Language. Brief survey of the periods.

3. Old English period. Social and historical conditions of the development of English in the Old English period. Formation of Old English states.

4. Phonetic system of the Old English period. General characteristics.

5. Changes of stressed vowels in Early Old English period. Splitting of the Germanic a.

6. Changes of stressed vowels in Early Old English period. Development of Old English diphthongs.

7. Changes of stressed vowels in Early Old English period. Breaking.

8. Changes of stressed vowels in Early Old English period. Mutation. Morphological value of Old English mutation.

9. Changes of stressed vowels in the Middle English period. Qualitative changes: contraction of diphthongs

10. Changes of stressed vowels in the Middle English period. Qualitative changes: development of Old English monophthongs.

11. Quantitative changes of stressed vowels in the Middle English period: lengthening of short vowels.

12. Quantitative changes of stressed vowels in the Middle English period shortening of long vowels.

13. Evolution of stressed vowels in the New English period. Qualitative changes.