The Influence of Christianity on the

The English Language

Introduction
The emergence of Christianity is interwoven within the development
of English as a language, and in literature. It traces back to Old
English, as well as its relevance in Modern English and how our
current vocabulary was shaped. The impact Christianity encompasses
the English legal system with its lasting influences. The Bible also
contributed in the creation of various English words.
Old English
Religion played an important role on the
development of the English language
(Jesperson, 1986). Christianity was
originally built on Greek and Latin as a
way to communicate and spread its views.
Sepulchral inscription of
a Christian woman (6th century)
 Anglo-Saxon is considered the earliest
form of English. It dates back from
1100 A.D. retaining the basic
grammatical properties of the
Germanic Branch of the Indo-
European Language Family.
The Anglo-Saxon Runic Alphabet
Saint Augustine, a Roman missionary
and his disciples were responsible for the
growth of Christianity to the British Isles
in 597 AD which is why Christianity and
Latin gradually began invading English.
During the Middle English period (1100 - 1500 AD),
foreign influence began affecting English as a result of the
Norman Conquest of 1066, which brought English under
the rule of French speakers.

The reign of French did not cause English to die out

eventually as it became a secondary language in political,
social, and cultural matters. The lower class spoke in
English while the upper classes spoke French.
The English language gradually reestablished itself as
England’s major language, though it continuously borrowed
foreign loan words as it became naturalized in Middle-
English, from Old French and Middle French. Such words
are date, escape, money, and infant. or from Latin; alibi,
library, pacify.
As British began to discover Christianity, church schools
emerged which utilized Latin as its sermon language,
effectively impacting English. One of these examples are
English words that became exclusively religious such as;
temple, prayer, church, preach, sermon, nun, salvation,
divine etc. But there are also words whose religious
meanings have changed; dogma, minister, mission,
hood, lecture, patron, etc.
Modern English
During the influence of the Renaissance over continental
Europe in the 16th century, discourse revolving Theology
was prevalent among Humanists from several countries.
This movement started to arouse British consciousness in
which British writers began to write using English rather
than Latin.
It was also from this period of time that
publications started garnering attention as well as
largely contributing to the development of Modern
English. Few examples are Authorized Version, Old
Testament, and New Testament. The publication
of these books specified the use of English, making
it become widely used in society.
The Influence of Authorized Version
Authorized Version (The King James Book) in
particular enriched and perfected Modern English.
According to Ernest Weekley, besides from the works
of Shakespeare, no other books had a lasting influence
on Modern English as much as Authorized Version
has had on the English vocabulary.
Idioms
Authorized Versions added a lot of the well-known
idioms we know of today. Most of English-speaking
countries believed in God. All-powerful and
omniscient, they worshipped him and his creation.
This particularly became the subject of idioms.

ex. God shapes the back for the burden, when God
will, all winds bring rain; God doth he will.
Allusions
The book also added allusions such as “loaves and fishes“. In
reference to the book, Jesus fed people loaves and fishes in
which people followed him for. They followed him not with the
intention to listem, but for the food. The phrase “loaves and
fishes“ became associated with self-gain or personal interest.
ex. Kiss of Death (coming from the betrayal of Judas) meaning,
an act of malice in the guise of affection.
Oral English
Many religious words from the Authorized Version
are common in day-to-day lives, becoming integrated
into expressions such as “Oh my God!“, as a way to
react from being surprised. Another one is “God
damn you!“ when they curse someone or something.
Literature
The transmission of Christianity exerted heavy influence on
American and British literature through the Bible. Many
expressions and phrases have been referenced from the Bible
by renowned authors
ex. The East of Eden by John Steinbeck, Hamlet by
Shakespeare in which he also cited the Creation of God and
Cain's Killing of his Brother, using it as an allusion to imply
that people are originally evil.
From 1500 to the present, the act of borrowing foreign word
expanded through different languages across countries. While
English derives much of its words from Greek and Latin, it has
also borrowed from almost all of Europe.

In Modern French, these words are bikini, cliché, discotheque.

Easel, gin, and yacht, are Dutch. Italian words such as carnival,
fiasco, and pizza are also integrated in the English language.
Portuguese has cobra and molasses. Spain, sherry and mosquito.
Russian, Czech, and Yiddish gave us czar, robot, and kibitz.
Christian Principles and
the English Legal System
Christian principles are integrated in the English
legal system, shaping its development throughout
history. Historical documents and legal practices
such as the laws of King Alfred the Great and the
Magna Carta reflects Christian values and ethics.
The influence of Jurists also contributed into the
establishment of the English common law drawing
inspiration from their Christian faith. Their works
depict how legal doctrines are tethered to Christian
moral teachings, emphasizing the role of views and
beliefs as a basis for legal thought.
Christian principles had a lasting influence on
how the common law remained its relevance in
contemprary legal applications. This suggests
that taking historical context into consideration
can enhance the process of interpreting and
applying modern law.
The Influence of Bible
upon English Words
Aside from its religious purposes, the Bible also
holds great historical significance as it contain the
records of the past; particularly those of Western
countries, Middle East, as well as Jewish people.
One of its distinguished legacy is its role on the
process of shaping the English language.
There are various names that originated from The Bible.
These are called proper nouns which is usually the name
of a person, place, organization or thing. One of examples
are Adam, Eve and Judas.

Some of the names from the Bible often represents a

symbol that refers to a person that exhibits the traits of
the said character. Example is ‘Judas’ considering its
Biblical context, Judas is immediately recognized as the
betrayer. These proper nouns can also be used in phrases.
Conclusions
Language is inherently intertwined with culture. It progresses
together usually and becomes shaped by historical events
affectimg to how it is used today. Religion is important to
human ideals and tradition, with Christianity dominating most
English-speaking countries, it explains why Christianity had a
lasting impact on the English language and how it contributed
to its continuous development.
 References
1. Augusto, Zimmermann. (2014). Christianity and the
common law: Rediscovering the Christian roots of the
English legal system. 16:145-.
2. LiLi, Zhang. (2014). Influence of Christianity on
English. 303-306. doi: 10.2991/ICSS-14.2014.52
3. Qiang, Kang. (2013). Influence of The Bible Upon
English Words. Studies in Literature and Language,
7(3):56-59. doi: 10.3968/N

Created by: Missy Militante, ABELS - 1A