A history of the English Language

171.
Nature and Extent of the Movement.
In order to appreciate the importance of the Renaissance in enriching the English 
vocabulary it is worth- 
35 
Cawdrey’s little book has been reprinted in facsimile, with an introduction by Robert A. Peters 
(Gainesville, FL, 1966). 
while to form some idea of the number of new words added at this time. A calculation 
based upon the data available in the 
Oxford Dictionary
gives a figure somewhat above 
12,000. This number is certain to be reduced somewhat when all of the materials 
assembled for the 
Middle English Dictionary
are published; but it is likely to remain 
close to 10,000, since the calculation has been made conservatively, taking no account of 
minor variations of the same word, or of words which, while appearing before 1500, were 
A history of the english language 216

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reintroduced in the sixteenth century or first gained currency at that time. Many of the 
new words, of course, enjoyed but a short life. Some even appeared only once or twice 
and were forgotten. But about half of the total number have become a permanent part of 
the language. A very large majority were from Latin, and this accession from Latin is 
sometimes known as the Latin Influence of the Fourth Period. Not all of the additions 
filled gaps in the existing vocabulary, but they gave the language a wealth of synonyms. 
In the course of time these have often become differentiated, enabling us to express slight 
shades of meaning that would otherwise have been unattainable. Most of the new words 
entered English by way of the written language. They are a striking evidence of the new 
force exerted by the printing press. They also furnish a remarkable instance of the ease 
with which the printed word can pass into everyday speech. For although many of the 
new words were of a distinctly learned character in the beginning, they did not remain so 
very long, a fact that not only can be inferred from their widespread popular use today 
but also can be illustrated from the plays of Shakespeare or almost any of his 
contemporaries.