Influence of Christianity on English

Abstract

Language is a communication tool that can be used to express thoughts and emotions. At the same time, it is also a symbol system carrying various information. Therefore, formation and development of language has marks of different aspects of social life, reflecting a distinctive culture of a certain society. As an influential religion in the western world, Christianity enriches English language. This paper illustrates the influence of Christianity on English from formation, specification and development. For Chinese English learners, it is inevitable to encounter Christianity while learning English. Therefore it also proposes some pieces of advice on English teaching and English learning. Introduction In ancient times, people worshiped ancestors, animals, nature as well as language. Religion formed and developed through language worshiping and utilizing. Symbolic characteristics of language have played significant role in transmission and evolvement of religion. No language, no religion. Meanwhile, religion helps to create and spread the language. Whenever there was religious reform, there would be great changes in language. Almost all religions all over the world would create a new language or use a dialect while writing their scriptures. With the spread of religion, that language was also spread. Judaism spread Aramaic, Hebrew, Aniohevotakh as well as Sephardi to different places all over the world from Palestine; Mohammedanism created by Mohammed spread Arabic with Koran to Europe, Asia as well as Africa from Southern part of Arabian Peninsula; Indian Buddhism spread Gautama as well as Sanskrit to China, Japan and so on. In addition, religion set a lot of rules for using language. As a main language of Christianity, English is deeply influenced by Christianity. With no doubt, it is beneficial to intercultural communication to analyze the influence of Christianity on English. Influence of Christianity on Old English Christianity was set up based on Greek and Latin which were regarded as a tool of transmitting its creed [1]. For this reason, these two old languages can survive from Germanic conquering. Since Roman Missionary Saint Augustine and his disciples spread Christianity to the British Isles in 597AD, Christianity and Latin culture have begun to infiltrate into English. With the popularization and deepening of Christianity, English has become more and more religious. Jespersen, a famous Danish linguist once said in Growth and Structure of English Language, religion has played a very important role in English development [2]. During more than 500 years from Christianity appearing in Britain to the end of Old English, churches blossomed in various places of Britain. Church schools emerged at this historic moment. As the language for sermon, Latin language and Latin culture infiltrated into English. These Latin words are related to religious equipments, rituals and so on. These words can be divided into two groups: (1) words whose religious meaning has not changed: temple, church, prayer, preach, sermon, nun, salvation, divine, etc.; (2) words whose religious meaning has changed: dogma, minister, mission, hood, sponsor, lecture, patron, etc. 2014 International Conference on Social Science (ICSS 2014) © 2014. The authors Published by Atlantis Press 303 Influence of Christianity on Modern English Modern English appeared in 16 century and at that time, Renaissance was sweeping continental Europe. Humanists in various countries fought against religious Theology with humanism of ancient Greece and Rome. Under the impact of this movement, British national consciousness was aroused. British humanist writers began to write with English instead of Latin. Old English had no norm at that time. These British humanists played an important role in specifying and unifying Old English and transforming Old English into Modern English. In addition, in 1611, Authorized Version came into being, which had an epoch-making meaning in English development history [3]. Including Old Testament and New Testament, Authorized Version was compiled with beautiful and simple prose. Its publication not only specified English, but also made English widely used in society. The success of Authorized Version laid the foundation for Modern English. Besides, another religious book named The Book of Common Prayer and Application of the Sacraments should be mentioned as well. These two books were widely read by all walks of life, no matter whether educated or uneducated. While giving remarks on these two books, Swift said that they became the standard of English, especially for common people [4]. The appearance of Authorized Version enlarged the influence of Christianity in English-speaking countries. In the book named The English Language, Ernest Weekley once remarked that apart from the books of Shakespeare, no other books have had such big influence as Authorized Version on English vocabulary [5]. It greatly contributed to enriching and perfecting Modern English.