Reader discretion advised: This is going to be a strange and long post that goes way over my 500-word limit, but I need it somewhere on the Internet so I can easily find it and print it.
This is mainly going to be just long lists of words, which is what I am interested in, but because it will appear on a blog, I will say a bit about them to satisfy the curious:
I want to write and think in an English made up of words and ideas that were common to the 1900s, 1600s and 400s. I can go beyond that but when I do I want to know it.
For example, I use the words “racism” and “race” quite a bit but I also know that no one talked like that before the 1500s. So I know it is not as “natural” and “universal” an idea as some people like to tell me it is. I know it is something that has been added since then to make the present time and place work the way it does for the advantage of “whites” (early 1600s).
An easy way to do this is to control what words go into your spell checker.
I get words from three places:
- Augustine (400s) – words taken from “The City of God” and the “Confessions” in an English that is close to the Latin at the word-for-word level. No one spoke English in Augustine’s time, so this is as close as I can get.
- Shakespeare (early 1600s) – words from his complete plays and sonnets with our spellings.
- The Brown Corpus (1961) – a million words of printed American English from 1961.
From these I created two sorts of Englishes:
- Augustinian English: where I try to use words common in Augustine 90% of the time. Used on this blog from September 2006 to June 2007.
- Common English: where I try to use words common to both Shakespeare and the Brown Corpus 90% of the time. (Has some words from Basic English as well.) Used on this blog the summer of 2006 and since June 2007.
Augustinian English is easier for me to write in, especially when talking about religion and politics, but it is also more high-flown. I regard Common English as the heart of English.
Listed below are the main Common English words divided into four classes according to how much Augustine and I have used them:
- Class I: 771 words common for both me and Augustine (such as escape, next, nor, stone, in, people, take, relation, when)
- Class II: 397 words common for Augustine but not for me (such as dependent, harbour, sponge, citizen, abroad, harmony, empty)
- Class III: 207 words common for me but not for Augustine (such as crack, lean, arrest, cousin, worth, rare, plenty, plot, glad, liberal)
- Class IV: 345 words common for neither of us (such as aim, port, potato, device, composition, talent, combat, craft, election, commission)
Class I: both of us:
- a able about above account across act action add addition admit advantage affect afraid after again against age agree air alike alive all allow almost alone along already also although altogether always among amount ancient and anger angry animal another answer any apart apparent appear apple apply argue art as aside ask assume at attention attraction author authority avoid away
- baby back bad balance bank bar be beauty because become before begin behaviour belief believe bell below benefit between beyond birth bit black blame blind blood blue boat body book born both box boy brain branch break breath bright bring brother brown build burden but by
- cake call can capable care carry case cast cause certain chance change character charge cheap check chest choice city civil clean clear close cloth coal coat collar colour come command commit common company complete concern conclude condemn consider content continue contrary control cook copper copy count country course cover create credit crime cure cut
- damage dance danger dare dark daughter day dead death decision deep defence defend degree deliver deny design destroy destruction die difference different dignity dirty discovery divide do door doubt down draw dress drink drive due during duty
- each ear early earth east easy eat edge education effect either element else empire end enemy enjoy enough equal error escape even ever every evil example excellent except exchange experience expert express extend eye
- face fact fair faith fall false family famous far farm fashion fast fat father fault favour fear feed feel feet fellow female few fiction field fight fill find fine finger fire fit flat fly follow food foot for force foreign forget form found free friend from front full future
- gain game general get gift girl give glass glory go gold good grand great green grey ground grow growth guilt guilty
- hair hand hang happy hard harm hate hatred have he head healthy hear heart heat heaven hell help here hide high history hold home hope house how human humour hurt husband
- idea if image immediate important in increase industry innocent instead instruction intelligence intend interest invention iron island it
- judge just justice
- keep key kill kind king know knowledge
- labour land language large last late law lay lead leaf learn leather leave left length less let letter level library lie life light like line liquid list little live long look lost loud love low
- make male man many market marriage marry mass master match material matter may mean measure meet memory mercy mere metal middle might military mind miss moment money more morning mother mountain mouth move much music must
- name narrow nation natural nature near necessary need neither nerve never new next night no noble none nor not now number
- of off often oil old on once only open opinion opposite or order ordinary other out over own
- page pain paint paper part pass passion past patience pay peace pencil people perfect period person philosophy physical picture place plain plant play please poet point poor position possible post pour poverty power practice precious prefer present pride print prison private process produce progress proof proper property proportion prose protest proud prove public pull punish pure purpose push put
- question quiet quite
- race rain raise range rate rather reach read ready reason record red refuse regard region regular relation religious remain remember report require respect rest return rich right ring rise road root rough round rub rule run
- sad safe salt same save saw say scale school science sea search second secret see seek seem self sense sentence separate serious servant serve service set several sex shadow shake shame she ship shock short should show shut sick side sign silence silent silver simple sin since single size skin sky slave sleep slow smile smooth so society soft some song soon sort soul sound south speak special speech spend spirit square stage stand start state steel step still stone stop story straight strange street strong subject substance succeed such suffer summer sun support sure surprise
- table tail take talk teach tear tell term test than thank the then there they thick thin thing think this though thought through throw till time to together told tongue too top town trade tree trouble true truth try turn
- under understand universal unless until up upon use
- value vast very view violence violent virgin virtue voice
- wait walk want war warm waste watch water wave way we weak wealth week well west what when where whether which while white who whole why wide wife wild will win wind window wise with woman wood word work world worthy would wound write wrong
- yes yet you young youth
Class II: just Augustine:
- abroad absent absolute accept accuse affair aid angel ant appearance appoint arch arise arm army assure attempt awake
- bag ball band base basin basket bath battle bear bed bee belong beneath bind bird bite bitter blade blow board boil bond bone bottle brake brass bread brick brief brush bucket burn burst busy butter
- carriage cart chain cheese chief child chin choose church circle citizen cloud cold comb comfort compare comparison conceive condition conduct conscience consequence contain cord cow creature cross cruel crush cry cup current curtain
- dear debt delicate delight demand dependent derive desire devil direction discover disease distance distribution divine division dog drop dry dust
- egg empty engine enter entrance estate eternal event exercise expectation
- fail familiar fate feather feeble fertile figure fish fix flag flame flee flesh flight floor flower fold foolish fore forgive forth fortune fowl frame frequent fruit
- garden gather goat god govern grace grain grant grass guide
- hammer harbour harmony health heavy hence hole hollow holy honour hook horn horse
- ice ill indeed injury ink instance instrument
- jewel join journey joy
- kettle kick kiss knee knife
- laugh leg liberty lift limit linen lip lo lock loose lord loss
- mad maid maintain manner map meal meat merit mighty milk minute mist mix month moon moral motion mount multitude mystery
- nail necessity neck needle neighbour net noise north nose note nut
- o object observation observe occasion offer office operation opportunity oppose ornament ought oven
- parallel parcel parent party passage paste pen perform perhaps permit persuade pin pipe plate pleasure plough poison possess possession pot powder practise pray prepare presence preserve presume prevent price prince probable proceed profit promise provide
- quality queen quick
- rank receipt receive religion remove render reply request reward river rod roll roof room royal
- sacred sacrifice safety sail sake sand satisfy scarce seat secretary secure seed senate send settle shade shall sharp sheep shine shoe sight silk sing sir sister skill slip small smell smoke snake snow solid son space spade spare sponge sport spring stamp star station stick stiff stomach store strength stretch strike style succession sudden sufficient suggestion suppose sweet swim
- tall taste tax temple testimony thorough thread threat throat thumb thunder thus tire title toe tomorrow tooth touch train transport trust twist
- utter
- verse vessel vice victory
- wall wash wax weather weight wet wheel whip whistle wine wing winter wish wit wonder wool worm worship
- yellow yesterday yield
Class III: just me:
- accident according advice afford ago appeal approach arrest asleep audience aunt
- beat behind beside big bottom brave broad buy
- car card cat catch centre charm claim climb clothes coast comment complain conclusion cool corner cost couple court cousin crack curious
- damn dangerous date deal debate description despite determine diet dinner discipline divorce double dream
- ease encounter especially etc excuse expect extreme
- feature fifth first five fool forest forever fortunate forward fought four fourth fresh further
- gentle glad grave gross guess guest gun
- habit half her hero him hit honest hospital household huge hundred hung hungry
- imagine issue
- jump
- lack league lean liberal listen luck
- machine main me medicine million mine mistake model murder my
- native news nice nine notice
- odd one pale park
- particular patient pattern personal phrase piece plenty plot policy pope press pretty profound protect protection
- quarter
- rare rid rush
- said sat savage scene scholar score sell sent seven shape share shoot shore shoulder sit six sixteen sixth sold soldier sorry speed spite spoke spread stake stay stock stuck study stuff subtle success sugar suit sum supply
- teeth tend terrible terror third thousand three thrust today torn towards trial trick triumph twice two
- ugly
- visit wake weapon wear whisper whose wipe won wore worth
- year
Class IV: neither of us:
- aboard absence access achieve advance advertise advise ah aim alliance alter amaze ambassador amend angle approve arrive article aspect assembly assist assistance attend
- bare bay beam beard behalf belly bend berry bid bill blanch block boast bold boot bore bound bowl breathe bride bridge button
- calm camp canvas cap capital capitol captain cell chair challenge chamber champion cheek circumstance clay clerk clock combat comedy commission commodity companion composition conference confidence confirm conspiracy constant continent continual contract convenient cork corn cough council county courage craft crown crystal cushion
- deck defeat delay depend desert despair desperate destiny device digestion dine direct discharge dish dive doctor dozen drain drawer drunk dull
- eight election eleven employ enforce engage enterprise entertain et evening examine excess expense
- faint fan farther fellowship fence fifteen fifty file firm flow foil ford fork forty fourteen friendship fright function furnish
- gate giant glove golden governor greet grip guard
- hall ham handle handsome hat heel height herd hill hire honey host hot hour
- imagination impossible inch inform innocence instant invite
- jelly joint
- knock knot
- ladder lady laughter leap lieutenant liquor load lodge loyalty lung
- magic manage marble march mark marshal mate mayor melt merchant mess message midnight mile minister modest monkey monument mood motive mrs musician mutual
- nest nod noon
- ocean orange
- pace pack paid pair palace palm partner pause peer penny performance petition pick pig pistol pitch pleasant pocket port potato pound preparation prime prize procure profession prompt pump purchase pursue
- quantity quarrel
- rail rat raw ray rear relief relieve repair repeat reputation reserve resolution resolve retire revenue reverend rice ride rob rock rose
- satisfaction sauce scissors scope screw season security seize seldom senator senior sergeant sheet shelf shelter sheriff shift shirt shop shout sigh sink slender slight slope smith soil sole sovereign sovereignty split spoon staff stain stem stern stocking storm strain stream strict stroke struck supper survey suspect suspicion sweat swift
- tale talent task ten tent thirty threw tie tight tonight toward tragedy travel tray tremble tribute trim troop twelve twenty
- uncle urge
- vein voluntary
- wage ward warn warrant wed welcome widow wire
See also:
I love the way you think. I look forward to every blog. Thank you.
Yes the statement about Augustine stood out for me too and I did a little study on the origins of English. I am glad I did. I learned a few things. Like in many ways American English is closer Shakespearen English. Here also what I found and wanted share for the curious:
A brief chronology of English
55 BC Roman invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar. Local inhabitants speak Celtish
AD 43 Roman invasion and occupation. Beginning of Roman rule of Britain.
436 Roman withdrawal from Britain complete.
449 Settlement of Britain by Germanic invaders begins
450-480 Earliest known Old English inscriptions. Old English
1066 William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, invades and conquers England.
c1150 Earliest surviving manuscripts in Middle English. Middle English
1348 English replaces Latin as the language of instruction in most schools.
1362 English replaces French as the language of law. English is used in Parliament for the first time.
c1388 Chaucer starts writing The Canterbury Tales.
c1400 The Great Vowel Shift begins.
1476 William Caxton establishes the first English printing press. Early Modern English
1564 Shakespeare is born.
1604 Table Alphabeticall, the first English dictionary, is published.
1607 The first permanent English settlement in the New World (Jamestown) is established.
1616 Shakespeare dies.
1623 Shakespeare’s First Folio is published
1702 The first daily English-language newspaper, The Daily Courant, is published in London.
1755 Samuel Johnson publishes his English dictionary.
1776 Thomas Jefferson writes the American Declaration of Independence.
1782 Britain abandons its colonies in what is later to become the USA.
1828 Webster publishes his American English dictionary. Late Modern English
1922 The British Broadcasting Corporation is founded.
1928 The Oxford English Dictionary is published.
A brief chronology of English
55 BC Roman invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar. Local inhabitants speak Celtish
AD 43 Roman invasion and occupation. Beginning of Roman rule of Britain.
436 Roman withdrawal from Britain complete.
449 Settlement of Britain by Germanic invaders begins
450-480 Earliest known Old English inscriptions. Old English
1066 William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, invades and conquers England.
c1150 Earliest surviving manuscripts in Middle English. Middle English
1348 English replaces Latin as the language of instruction in most schools.
1362 English replaces French as the language of law. English is used in Parliament for the first time.
c1388 Chaucer starts writing The Canterbury Tales.
c1400 The Great Vowel Shift begins.
1476 William Caxton establishes the first English printing press. Early Modern English
1564 Shakespeare is born.
1604 Table Alphabeticall, the first English dictionary, is published.
1607 The first permanent English settlement in the New World (Jamestown) is established.
1616 Shakespeare dies.
1623 Shakespeare’s First Folio is published
1702 The first daily English-language newspaper, The Daily Courant, is published in London.
1755 Samuel Johnson publishes his English dictionary.
1776 Thomas Jefferson writes the American Declaration of Independence.
1782 Britain abandons its colonies in what is later to become the USA.
1828 Webster publishes his American English dictionary. Late Modern English
1922 The British Broadcasting Corporation is founded.
1928 The Oxford English Dictionary is published.
A brief chronology of English
55 BC Roman invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar. Local inhabitants speak Celtish
AD 43 Roman invasion and occupation. Beginning of Roman rule of Britain.
436 Roman withdrawal from Britain complete.
449 Settlement of Britain by Germanic invaders begins
450-480 Earliest known Old English inscriptions. Old English
1066 William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, invades and conquers England.
c1150 Earliest surviving manuscripts in Middle English. Middle English
1348 English replaces Latin as the language of instruction in most schools.
1362 English replaces French as the language of law. English is used in Parliament for the first time.
c1388 Chaucer starts writing The Canterbury Tales.
c1400 The Great Vowel Shift begins.
1476 William Caxton establishes the first English printing press. Early Modern English
1564 Shakespeare is born.
1604 Table Alphabeticall, the first English dictionary, is published.
1607 The first permanent English settlement in the New World (Jamestown) is established.
1616 Shakespeare dies.
1623 Shakespeare’s First Folio is published
1702 The first daily English-language newspaper, The Daily Courant, is published in London.
1755 Samuel Johnson publishes his English dictionary.
1776 Thomas Jefferson writes the American Declaration of Independence.
1782 Britain abandons its colonies in what is later to become the USA.
1828 Webster publishes his American English dictionary. Late Modern English
1922 The British Broadcasting Corporation is founded.
1928 The Oxford English Dictionary is published.
A brief chronology of English
55 BC Roman invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar. Local inhabitants speak Celtish
AD 43 Roman invasion and occupation. Beginning of Roman rule of Britain.
436 Roman withdrawal from Britain complete.
449 Settlement of Britain by Germanic invaders begins
450-480 Earliest known Old English inscriptions. Old English
1066 William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, invades and conquers England.
c1150 Earliest surviving manuscripts in Middle English. Middle English
1348 English replaces Latin as the language of instruction in most schools.
1362 English replaces French as the language of law. English is used in Parliament for the first time.
c1388 Chaucer starts writing The Canterbury Tales.
c1400 The Great Vowel Shift begins.
1476 William Caxton establishes the first English printing press. Early Modern English
1564 Shakespeare is born.
1604 Table Alphabeticall, the first English dictionary, is published.
1607 The first permanent English settlement in the New World (Jamestown) is established.
1616 Shakespeare dies.
1623 Shakespeare’s First Folio is published
1702 The first daily English-language newspaper, The Daily Courant, is published in London.
1755 Samuel Johnson publishes his English dictionary.
1776 Thomas Jefferson writes the American Declaration of Independence.
1782 Britain abandons its colonies in what is later to become the USA.
1828 Webster publishes his American English dictionary. Late Modern English
1922 The British Broadcasting Corporation is founded.
1928 The Oxford English Dictionary is published.
@bulanik…..we know who writes the histories. I trust there is a lot more to the story than the official account. I guess we will never know for sure. Mark Dukes is now MarQ
I recommend book Britain AD by Francis Pryor (Harper Perenial 2005). Good book, makes one think. His theory, and very much more convincing than the so called traditional, is that anglo-saxons never did what usually is thoughed (ethnic clensing, removal of native population etc.).
The majority of the population remained “celtic”, that is brittish (wheala by saxons, cymry by britons), even in Anglia, Kent etc. What happened was that the elite was replaced from romano brittish to anglo-saxon and thus the language and fashion etc, changed too. This is also partly confirmed by the DNA tests which show that there is no major differences between the welsh or the present day east anglians or kentish britts.
Also there where anglo-saxons in Britain already in roman times in 4th century well before the so called Adventus saxonum.
Interesting post here, abagond. Different from the norm here, but different can often be a good thing
Didn’t know the welsh was that advanced and had cars why back when. But seriously @bulanik I guess I now need to find out how did the word Welsh word “car” come into use for automobile. Etymology is interesting. I found this:
car (n.)
c.1300, “wheeled vehicle,” from O.N.Fr. carre, from L. carrum, carrus (pl. carra), originally “two-wheeled Celtic war chariot,” from Gaulish karros (cf. Welsh carr “cart, wagon,” Breton karr “chariot”), from PIE *krsos, from root *kers- “to run.” Extension to “automobile” is 1896. Car bomb first 1972, in reference to Northern Ireland.
Now I know. Thanks.
@ Bulanik:
Augustine died in 430. Old English is commonly dated as starting in 450. Augustine died in the wave of Germanic invasions that created English. That is what I based my statement on.