Between Christinity and Shakespeare, which one has been more influential for the English language?
Which has influenced English more, Christinity or Shakespea?
How would Christianity have influenced the English language? It's not really a linguistic thing -- especially since it is a religion practiced by speakers of many different languages. Unless you think it's had a big impact on all of those languages, too.....
St Augustine, originally a Roman monk, is regarded as having brought Christianity to Britain in the year 597 - over 1,400 years ago now. He set the foundation of the Christian faith in this country in the form of Roman Catholicism, which subsequently became the established religion here in Britain, and remained so until the heinous, self seeking, gluttonous Henry VII of England broke away from the Church of Rome simply to suit his own selfish ends in the mid 16th century, causing turmoil and dissent of the worst kind, but there you go.....when in human history has religion never been a major factor in so much conflict and resultant pain and suffering and in this world?
Augustine became the very first Archbishop of Canterbury, where his magnificent cathedral is still tangible testimony today to his ministrations among the Anglo Saxon heathens in the England of the time, a time when the English Language was begnning to take off in a big way, with the formation of Middle English as was, and the rapidly growing influence of Christianity had an enormous effect on the Language through a huge rise in theological works.
One such luminary of the time, virtually at the outset, was Saint Bede, known as the Venerable Bede (c.673-735), a humble English monk of the time, revered still today for his great works (in the Latin Language but later translated into contemporary English) , such as the "Eccesiastical History of the English People", written in 731AD.
From then on the influence of the Church had a massive effect on the development and use of the English Language in these islands.
Augustine became the very first Archbishop of Canterbury, where his magnificent cathedral is still tangible testimony today to his ministrations among the Anglo Saxon heathens in the England of the time, a time when the English Language was begnning to take off in a big way, with the formation of Middle English as was, and the rapidly growing influence of Christianity had an enormous effect on the Language through a huge rise in theological works.
One such luminary of the time, virtually at the outset, was Saint Bede, known as the Venerable Bede (c.673-735), a humble English monk of the time, revered still today for his great works (in the Latin Language but later translated into contemporary English) , such as the "Eccesiastical History of the English People", written in 731AD.
From then on the influence of the Church had a massive effect on the development and use of the English Language in these islands.
<From then on the influence of the Church had a massive effect on the development and use of the English Language in these islands. >
In what way has Christinity influenced the development and use of English?
What about Shakespeare's influence on English as compared with that of Christianity?
In what way has Christinity influenced the development and use of English?
What about Shakespeare's influence on English as compared with that of Christianity?
I remember there was a saying which roughly goes like this: the British people would rather lose India than lose Shakespeare. Doesn't this show how important Shakespeare is in British life?
Those values are completely different. Jesus gives eternal life. Shakespeare gives... literature.
<Those values are completely different. Jesus gives eternal life. Shakespeare gives... literature. >
They are different, but are not that markedly different and unrelated. Shakespeare writes about human nature percipiently!
They are different, but are not that markedly different and unrelated. Shakespeare writes about human nature percipiently!