A History of English Language

A history of the english language 80
their places filled by monks pledged to the threefold vow of chastity, obedience, and
poverty. In their work of restoration the reformers received powerful support from the
example of continental monasteries, notably those at Fleury and Ghent. These had
recently undergone a similar reformation under the inspiring leadership of Cluny, where
in 910 a community had been established on even stricter lines than those originally laid
down by St. Benedict. Dunstan had spent some time at the Abbey of Blandinium at
Ghent; Oswald had studied the system at Fleury; and Athelwold, although wanting to go
himself, had sent a representative to Fleury for the same purpose. On the pattern of these
continental houses a number of important monasteries were recreated in England, and
Athelwold prepared a version of the Benedictine Rule, known as the Concordia
Regularis, to bring about a general uniformity in their organization and observances. The
effort toward reform extended to other divisions of the church, indeed to a general
reformation of morals, and brought about something like a religious revival in the island.
One of the objects of special concern in this work of rehabilitation was the improvement
of education—the establishment of schools and the encouragement of learning among the
monks and the clergy. The results were distinctly gratifying. By the close of the century
the monasteries were once more centers of literary activity. Works in English for the
popularizing of knowledge were prepared by men who thus continued the example of
King Alfred, and manuscripts both in Latin and the vernacular were copied and
preserved. It is significant that the four great codices in which the bulk of Old English
poetry is preserved date from this period. We doubtless owe their existence to the reform
movement.
64. Influence of the Benedictine Reform on English.
The influence of Latin upon the English language rose and fell with the fortunes of the
church and the state of learning so intimately connected with it. As a result of the
renewed literary activity just described, a new series of Latin importations took place.
These differed somewhat from the earlier Christian borrowings in being words of a less
popular kind and expressing more often ideas of a scientific and learned character. They
are especially frequent in the works of Ælfric and reflect not only the theological and
pedagogical nature of his writings but also his classical tastes and attainments. His
literary activity and his vocabulary are equally representative of the movement. As in the
earlier Christian borrowings a considerable number of words have to do with religious
matters: alb, Antichrist, antiphoner, apostle, canticle, cantor, cell, chrism, cloister,
collect, creed, dalmatic, demon, dirge, font, idol, nocturn, prime, prophet, sabbath,
synagogue, troper. But we miss the group of words relating to everyday life characteristic
of the earlier period. Literary and learned words predominate. Of the former kind are
accent, brief (the verb), decline (as a term of grammar), history, paper, pumice, quatern
(a quire or gathering of leaves in a book), term(inus), title. A great number of plant names
are recorded in this period. Many of them are familiar only to readers of old herbals.
Some of the better known include celandine, centaury, coriander, cucumber, ginger,