phrasal verbs decoded
Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:21 pm
Phrasal Verbs Decoded
The Duckworth –García Bes hypothesis of the origins and logic of English phrasal verbs.
We hypothesise that English phrasal verbs developed as a “lingua franca” during the 100Year’s War 1337-1453 when England in its first display of national unity invaded France.
The question arises as to why phrasal verbs came into being and what function did they serve? We suggest that they provided a means of communication between a particular group of people who had a common cause, that being serving in the armed forces of the King.
There are many sub-groups in society today that speak their own jargon and many words and phrases used by these various sub-groups eventually take root in the language of the greater communities outside these sub-groups.
The criminal classes delevoped their own slang words, the use of which helped them identify themselves with members of the criminal fraternity. Children often do the same using variations of “pig latin” which gives them a feeling of being a member of a special group outside that of grown-ups.
Perhaps the largest contributor of slang words and phrases to the English language has been the armed forces, which returns us to phrasal verbs.
Today in Britain there are dozens of different dialects with a wide and varied vocabulary and their own particular quirks of grammar which even today can confuse somebody who is unfamiliar to it. An example of this is that of a television comedy programme made in Glasgow in Scotland which had to have English subtitles because the majority of viewers could not understand a word.
Now imagine what it was like 700 or so years ago.
Many people were born and died in their own towns, villages or rural areas without travelling to their neighbouring counties, let alone visiting the larger cities or the capital. Foreign travel was almost unknown for the common man.
When there was a general call to arms (Commision of Array) by Edward the 3rd men from all corners of the realm were brought together to form the expeditionary force to retake the French crown.
The noble officer classes had their own common language Norman-French and also spoke the local dialect of their own estates, earldoms counties etc. so one noble could communicate with the soldiers he provided for the King as they came from his own estates. The problem was these differing groups could not easily communicate between themselves and thus created their own means of communication by using the “particles” that feature in phrasal verbs and assigned to these words a different significance which was of a warlike nature as opposed to their commonly accepted meaning.
The particle “through” represents a battle on the open field and nowadays signifies a testing ground or difficult circumstances. All the phrasal verbs that use the particle “through” have a degree of success with the exception of “fall through” (fall meaning to die on the battlefield), so if one puts one’s plans into action (enter the battle) and they fall through (die on the battlefield) then they have failed. An example of success can be seen in “scrape through” when one takes an exam and only just passes, probably because one hadn’t studied enough. Those who knew their subject inside out would have sailed through as the English fleet did at the battle of Sluys in June 1340 when the English decimated the French navy.
In my next communication I will talk about the varying structures used in phrasal verbs and how to use them.
Don’t give up on phrasal verbs, I will get them over to you and I am coming across with help.
Kind regards everyone,
Kevin Duckworth
© jgbkjd 2006
For further information
[email protected]
This message was also posted on One Step English Forum
The Duckworth –García Bes hypothesis of the origins and logic of English phrasal verbs.
We hypothesise that English phrasal verbs developed as a “lingua franca” during the 100Year’s War 1337-1453 when England in its first display of national unity invaded France.
The question arises as to why phrasal verbs came into being and what function did they serve? We suggest that they provided a means of communication between a particular group of people who had a common cause, that being serving in the armed forces of the King.
There are many sub-groups in society today that speak their own jargon and many words and phrases used by these various sub-groups eventually take root in the language of the greater communities outside these sub-groups.
The criminal classes delevoped their own slang words, the use of which helped them identify themselves with members of the criminal fraternity. Children often do the same using variations of “pig latin” which gives them a feeling of being a member of a special group outside that of grown-ups.
Perhaps the largest contributor of slang words and phrases to the English language has been the armed forces, which returns us to phrasal verbs.
Today in Britain there are dozens of different dialects with a wide and varied vocabulary and their own particular quirks of grammar which even today can confuse somebody who is unfamiliar to it. An example of this is that of a television comedy programme made in Glasgow in Scotland which had to have English subtitles because the majority of viewers could not understand a word.
Now imagine what it was like 700 or so years ago.
Many people were born and died in their own towns, villages or rural areas without travelling to their neighbouring counties, let alone visiting the larger cities or the capital. Foreign travel was almost unknown for the common man.
When there was a general call to arms (Commision of Array) by Edward the 3rd men from all corners of the realm were brought together to form the expeditionary force to retake the French crown.
The noble officer classes had their own common language Norman-French and also spoke the local dialect of their own estates, earldoms counties etc. so one noble could communicate with the soldiers he provided for the King as they came from his own estates. The problem was these differing groups could not easily communicate between themselves and thus created their own means of communication by using the “particles” that feature in phrasal verbs and assigned to these words a different significance which was of a warlike nature as opposed to their commonly accepted meaning.
The particle “through” represents a battle on the open field and nowadays signifies a testing ground or difficult circumstances. All the phrasal verbs that use the particle “through” have a degree of success with the exception of “fall through” (fall meaning to die on the battlefield), so if one puts one’s plans into action (enter the battle) and they fall through (die on the battlefield) then they have failed. An example of success can be seen in “scrape through” when one takes an exam and only just passes, probably because one hadn’t studied enough. Those who knew their subject inside out would have sailed through as the English fleet did at the battle of Sluys in June 1340 when the English decimated the French navy.
In my next communication I will talk about the varying structures used in phrasal verbs and how to use them.
Don’t give up on phrasal verbs, I will get them over to you and I am coming across with help.
Kind regards everyone,
Kevin Duckworth
© jgbkjd 2006
For further information
[email protected]
This message was also posted on One Step English Forum
