English Past and Present

Name: English Past and Present
Author: Richard Chenevix Trench

By Richard Chenevix Trench

Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

Language & Communication

About This Book

The author presents a series of lectures examining the history and development of English, arguing that the language is a composite formed by successive borrowings and native survivals. He surveys how foreign loans enrich vocabulary, how words fall into disuse, and how meanings shift over time, illustrating semantic narrowing, divergence of synonyms, and orthographic transformations. The book combines etymological examples with methodological guidance for tracing word origins and dates, notes limitations of earlier assertions, and emphasizes careful philological research while offering corrections and editorial notes to update prior claims.

About the Author

Richard Chenevix Trench

Richard Chenevix Trench was a 19th-century Irish theologian, poet, and philologist, known for his significant contributions to the study of language and literature. His works often explore the evolution of English words and their meanings, as exemplified in his notable book "On the Study of Words." Trench's scholarly approach combined with his poetic sensibility is evident in his collections, such as "Poems from Eastern Sources: The Steadfast Prince; and Other Poems." He also delivered lectures on proverbs, which were later compiled in "Proverbs and Their Lessons." His writings reflect a deep engagement with both the linguistic and spiritual dimensions of English literature.