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Prøv at se om du kan klare opgaverne!
------- Begin Forwarded Message -------

Subject: London Matriculation Exam 1899 (Was: 8th Grade 1895 USA)
From: John Lawler <jlawler@tetris.gpcc.itd.umich.edu>
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 17:29:40 GMT

Maria's fascinating post on the 8th-grade test from 1895 Kansas reminded
me of the test Crystal included in his English Language encyclopedia.

Note: my impression is that a "Matriculation examination" is one taken
before (and to demonstrate knowledge suitable for) *entry* into
university, and therefore would be taken at approximately age 18
(= USA HS graduate level). Please correct me if I'm wrong.
In any event, it would be a rare college graduate these days who
could pass it.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The English language paper which was set as part of the London
Matriculation examination for senior pupils in June 1899.
(from "The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language", p.192)

I. -- LANGUAGE
(Not more than seven of these ten questions are to be attempted)

1. Explain carefully what is meant by the term "grammar." Give the
chief divisions of "grammar," with definitions and examples.

2. Comment on the following statements:
a) "To reform Modern English spelling would be to destroy
the life-history of many of our words."
b) "The spelling of Modern English is little better than a chaos."

3. At what periods, and under what conditions, have Latin words been
introduced into English directly or indirectly? Give examples.

4. Derive and explain:
Matriculate, parliament, isle, alderman, mayor, cricket;
and mention some derivatives from and
some cognates with these words.

5. What is meant by "relative pronouns"? Differentiate the uses of
the relative pronouns in Modern English, giving instances of each.

6. Write notes on the following words:
worse, nearer, but, it, songstress,
riches, alms, ye, first, Wednesday.

7. Classify adverbs, according to their origin and formation,
with examples.

8. How are (i) infinitives, and (ii) participles distinguished from
other parts of verbs? Write down and discuss six sentences
illustrating the various uses of (i) the Infinitive and
(ii) the Present Participle.

9. What is meant by "defective verbs"?
Discuss the conjugation of any three.

10. "To make a revolution every day is the nature of the sun, because
of that necessary course which God hath ordained it, from which
it cannot swerve but by a faculty from that voice which first
did give it motion."
(i) analyse this sentence;
(ii) underline the words of Latin origin.

-John Lawler http://www.umich.edu/~jlawler Michigan Linguistics Dept
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The purpose of a fishtrap is to catch fish, and when the fish are caught
the trap is forgotten. The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits.
When the rabbits are caught the snare is forgotten. The purpose of words
is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten.
Where can I find a man who has forgotten words?
He is the one I would like to talk to." -- Chuang Tzu

-------- End Forwarded Message --------


--
Cand.scient. Per Erik Rønne
Frederikssundsvej 308B, 3. tv.
DK-2700 Brønshøj
Tlf + fax 38 89 00 16, mobil 28 23 09 92

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per.ronne@invalid.dk (Per Rønne) writes:

> Prøv at se om du kan klare opgaverne!

Dette skal selvfølgelig gøres uden brug af ordbøger, leksika, internet
m.m.!

Jeg har gjort et forsøg nedenunder, men der er sikkert meget vrøvl i
det.

> ------- Begin Forwarded Message -------
>
> Subject: London Matriculation Exam 1899 (Was: 8th Grade 1895 USA)
> From: John Lawler <jlawler@tetris.gpcc.itd.umich.edu>
> Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
> Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 17:29:40 GMT
>
> Maria's fascinating post on the 8th-grade test from 1895 Kansas reminded
> me of the test Crystal included in his English Language encyclopedia.
>
> Note: my impression is that a "Matriculation examination" is one taken
> before (and to demonstrate knowledge suitable for) *entry* into
> university, and therefore would be taken at approximately age 18
> (= USA HS graduate level). Please correct me if I'm wrong.
> In any event, it would be a rare college graduate these days who
> could pass it.
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> The English language paper which was set as part of the London
> Matriculation examination for senior pupils in June 1899.
> (from "The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language", p.192)
>
> I. -- LANGUAGE
> (Not more than seven of these ten questions are to be attempted)
>
> 1. Explain carefully what is meant by the term "grammar." Give the
> chief divisions of "grammar," with definitions and examples.

Selv om det nok ikke var det, der forventedes i 1899, ville jeg
besvare dette spørgsmål med en kort gennemgang af Chomsky's hiearki af
grammatik- og sprogklasser. Mere realistisk er nok en opdeling i
grammatik i sætninger, grundled, udsagnsled, osv.

> 2. Comment on the following statements:
> a) "To reform Modern English spelling would be to destroy
> the life-history of many of our words."
> b) "The spelling of Modern English is little better than a chaos."

Ad a): The spelling of most English words have changed so much since
their first uses in written English, that little is lost by changing
the spelling once again. A spelling reform would, however, make
present-time texts hard to understand by people who have learnt the
reformed spelling only.

Ad b): This is indeed the case, with spelling and pronounciation
having no consistent relation, as witnessed, e.g., by George Bernard
Shaw's joke on the pronounciation of "Ghoti" as "Fish". Another
compelling example is the difference in pronounciation between the
words "Bomb", "Comb" and "Tomb" in spite of their similar spelling.

> 3. At what periods, and under what conditions, have Latin words been
> introduced into English directly or indirectly? Give examples.

The main period of Latin introduction was after the Norman invasion in
1066, where Norman French mixed with Anglo-Saxon. A good example is
the latin words for meat (beef, pork, mutton, veal, etc.) which are of
Latin origin as opposed to the words for the animals from which they
come (cow, pig, sheep, calf, etc.), which are primarily of Anglo-Saxon
origin.

Latin was also introduced earlier during the Roman occupation (AD 43 -
ca. 410), but few words survive from that time. The Catholic church
also brought many Latin words into the English language.

> 4. Derive and explain:
> Matriculate, parliament, isle, alderman, mayor, cricket;
> and mention some derivatives from and
> some cognates with these words.

"Matriculate" from Latin "Mater" (mother), meaning to make something a
home or homeland. A derivative is "immatriculation", meaning to leave
a place or country.

"Parliament", from French "parley": a place where parleying is done.

Isle, like "island", from Latin "Insula" and being synonymous with
this. Many derivations of these words, such as "peninsula" and
"insular" use the Latin root more directly.

"Alderman", literally "Older man", a repesentative of the elders of a
town council.

"Mayor", from Latin "Major", meaning "greater". The leader of a town
council.

"Cricket" is used both for an insect related to the grasshopper and for
a British game involving balls, bats and wickets. Though similar in
spelling and pronounciation, these words have different origins, the
ball game being derived from French "Croquet" and the insect from the
sound it makes.

> 5. What is meant by "relative pronouns"? Differentiate the uses of
> the relative pronouns in Modern English, giving instances of each.

A relative pronoun is a pronoun that refers to another.

> 6. Write notes on the following words:
> worse, nearer, but, it, songstress,
> riches, alms, ye, first, Wednesday.

"Worse" is the majoris of the adjective "bad", but has a different
origin. Originally (and still used colloquially) "bad" would be
graded "bad, badder, baddest".

"Nearer" is the majoris of the adjective "near".

"But" is an interjection used to diminish a statement with a
qualification.

"It" is the neutral pronoun.

"Songstress" is a female singer.

"Riches" is that which makes a rich man rich, i.e., abundant money and
other fortune.

"Alms" is aid given to the poor.

"Ye" is an old form of "you".

"First" is an indication of the primary.

"Wednesday" is the third day of the week. The name is derived from
the Germanic god "Woden", also known as "Odin" or "Wotan".

> 7. Classify adverbs, according to their origin and formation,
> with examples.

Adverbs can be formed by adding "ly" to the end of and adjective, as
in "quickly" and "slowly". Some adjectives, such as "fast" are used
unchanged as adverbs.

> 8. How are (i) infinitives, and (ii) participles distinguished from
> other parts of verbs? Write down and discuss six sentences
> illustrating the various uses of (i) the Infinitive and
> (ii) the Present Participle.

Inifinitives are present-tense werbs preceded by the word "to", as in
"to leave", where participles are verbs preceded by "have" (for the
present participle) or "had" (for the past participle) and being in
the plusquamperfectum form. Examples are "I have done" and "I had
done". Examples of use:

"I prepare to leave" uses the infinitive "to leave" to indicate an
intent. This can also be used to describe past intent, as in "I
prepared to leave".

"I have left the house" uses present participle to indicate a recently
executed act. The past particle version is "I had left the house",
which indicates a less recent act.

"To be, or not to be" uses infinitive twice to indicate possibilities.
A similar use is "it will be good to be back", where being back is not
implied to be necessarily true.


> 9. What is meant by "defective verbs"?
> Discuss the conjugation of any three.

???

> 10. "To make a revolution every day is the nature of the sun, because
> of that necessary course which God hath ordained it, from which
> it cannot swerve but by a faculty from that voice which first
> did give it motion."
> (i) analyse this sentence;

God decreed day and night, so the sun is forced to circle the earth
daily to obey his command, and must continue to do so until God
decrees otherwise.

> (ii) underline the words of Latin origin.

Day, Revolution, Nature, Because, Necessary, Course, Ordain, Faculty,
Voice, Motion.

   Torben

---

Torben Ægidius Mogensen <torbenm@diku.dk> wrote:

> > 4. Derive and explain:
> > Matriculate, parliament, isle, alderman, mayor, cricket;
> > and mention some derivatives from and
> > some cognates with these words.
>
> "Matriculate" from Latin "Mater" (mother), meaning to make something a
> home or homeland. A derivative is "immatriculation", meaning to leave
> a place or country.

Oxford English Dictionary 2nd Edition [etymologi i kantparenteser]:
matriculate
[F. med.L. *matriculat-, ppl. stem of *matriculare, f. matricula: see
matricula. Cf. Sp., Pg. matricular, It. matricolare.]
†1. trans. gen. To insert (a name) in a register or official list;
usually, to admit or incorporate into a society or body of persons by
insertion of the name in the register; to enrol (soldiers). Obs.
1577 Hanmer Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1619) 460 For vnto that time ye names
of the Senators or Aldermen were matriculated." ...

matricula

[Late L. matricula, dim. of L. matrix (see matrix n.), which in late L.
occurs in the same sense. (The development of meaning in late L. is
obscure.) Cf. F. matricule, Sp. matrícula, Pg. matricula, It. matricola,
G. matrikel.]
1. A list or register of persons belonging to an order, society, or
the like. Also, a certificate of enrolment in such a register.

(..)

2. spec. In the Holy Roman (and later German) Empire: see quot.
1845 S. Austin Ranke's Hist. Ref. I. 179 note, The Matricula+was the
list of the contingents, in men and money, which the several States were
bound to furnish to the empire.

matrix

[a. L. matrix (stem matric-), in late L. womb, in older Latin pregnant
animal, female animal used for breeding; app. f. mater mother, by change
of the ending into the suffix of fem. agent-nouns. Cf. matrice.
The L. plural matrices is normally pronounced ("meitrisi:z), formerly
(møtraisi:z), but in the industrial sense 4 the prevailing pronunciation
is ("mætraisi:z), prob. from association with the pl. of matrice.]
1. The uterus or womb. Also occas. used for ovary, esp. with
reference to oviparous animals."
========
"
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--
Cand.scient. Per Erik Rønne
Frederikssundsvej 308B, 3. tv.
DK-2700 Brønshøj
Tlf + fax 38 89 00 16, mobil 28 23 09 92