0 INTRODUCTION

6. FINDINGS
in their writings since the time of Chaucer or even earlier, as medical texts such as remedy
books were originally written in English already in OE (see Section 4.5.2.3). However, the
first authors who used English in their scientific writings were aware of the lack of
eloquence of the vernacular, and tried to adapt it in order to make it suitable for the
transmission of scientific knowledge. One of their main strategies was the use of Romance
words in their texts. Latin was the lingua franca used in science and French the language
spoken by the upper classes since the Norman Conquest in 1066 (see Section 6.2 for
further details). Thus, the prestigious status of these two languages favoured the extensive
acquisition of nominalizations from these languages. Take, for instance, the passage
below.
(145) The deflux of an humor from the braine is called a rheume, which
is the mother of many diseases. For somtimes it taketh course to
the eyes, and thereof commeth a dropping and inflammation of
the eyes, and a dimnesse and losse of sight; (...) sometimes to the
mouth, and causeth great expuition, and spitting, and the falling of
the uvula, and toothach; (...) somtimes to the lungs, and causeth
exulceration or putrifaction thereof, or some great obstruction,
which bringeth a difficulty of breathing and strangulation;
sometimes it taketh course to the stomach, and causeth lack of
appetite and ill digestion; (...) or in the conducts that convey the
power of hearing unto the eares, and there causeth a dulnesse of
hearing or deafnesse; or in the conducts that convey the power of
smelling to the nose, and cause either a lack or losse of swelling;
(...) (E2 1633 Holland Gutta podagrica Academic)
Example (145) shows a high number of Romance nominalizations such as inflammation,
expuition, exulceration, putrifaction, strangulation and (ill) digestion, which name
different ailments caused by rheumatism. These Romance formations coexist with native
formations such as dropping, spitting, breathing, hearing, smelling and swelling.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that –ing formations, as Romance nominalizations, also
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