English: CHUKUS 2019-2020
English: CHUKUS
British Civilization: an Introduction
Class 1
Terminology & basic facts
Terminology: locations
1. United Kingdom vs. Great Britain vs. The British Isles
2. Inhabitants: Britons or British people
3. Empire: the British territories during the height of colonialism
4. Commonwealth: intergovernmental organization of 53 member states, mostly former colonies of
British Empire (e.g. Canada, India, Australia)
BRITISH ISLES
= UK (GB (E&W+Sc)+Nirl) + IRL
1
,English: CHUKUS 2019-2020
Some 920 islands
Great Britain
Ireland
The Inner and Outer Hebrides (“Heb-bruh-deez”)
The Shetlands
The Orkneys
Isle of Man
Isle of Wight
The Isles of Scilly
Channel Islands
BRITISH COUNTIES
e.g. Kent, Cornwall, Oxfordshire, Devon, Essex, Sussex
(do not study all of these)
INNER AND OUTER HEBRIDES
2
,English: CHUKUS 2019-2020
THE ORKNEYS & THE SHETLANDS
ISLE OF MAN
▪ own language (Manx) died in 1944, but kept alive by
organizations
ISLE OF WIGHT
ISLE OF SCILLY
3
, English: CHUKUS 2019-2020
CHANNEL ISLANDS
POLITICAL UNITS
1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2. The Republic of Ireland, aka Eire
3. The Isle of Man
4. The Channel Islands
▪ Political diversity
o 4 ‘political units’ in the British Isles not all with same status
o 4 ‘countries’ or ‘home nations’ within UK not all with same status
▪ England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
e.g. football and rugby: four “national” teams
▪ Linguistic diversity
o English with many regional accents & standards
▪ Received Pronunciation (RP)
e.g. Queen/actor speaks
▪ Cockney
▪ Scottish
o Celtic Languages: Celtic fringe
CELTIC FRINGE
▪ Green: used to be Celtic
▪ Yellow: existing Celtic
CELTIC LANGUAGES
Two groups in modern-day Insular Celtic languages
1. Goidelic (Garlic) group = earlier Celtic immigrants (2000 – 1200 BC)
a. Scottish Gaelic
b. Irish Gaelic
c. Manx
2. Brythonic group: later Celtic immigrants
a. Welsh
b. Cornish
4
English: CHUKUS
British Civilization: an Introduction
Class 1
Terminology & basic facts
Terminology: locations
1. United Kingdom vs. Great Britain vs. The British Isles
2. Inhabitants: Britons or British people
3. Empire: the British territories during the height of colonialism
4. Commonwealth: intergovernmental organization of 53 member states, mostly former colonies of
British Empire (e.g. Canada, India, Australia)
BRITISH ISLES
= UK (GB (E&W+Sc)+Nirl) + IRL
1
,English: CHUKUS 2019-2020
Some 920 islands
Great Britain
Ireland
The Inner and Outer Hebrides (“Heb-bruh-deez”)
The Shetlands
The Orkneys
Isle of Man
Isle of Wight
The Isles of Scilly
Channel Islands
BRITISH COUNTIES
e.g. Kent, Cornwall, Oxfordshire, Devon, Essex, Sussex
(do not study all of these)
INNER AND OUTER HEBRIDES
2
,English: CHUKUS 2019-2020
THE ORKNEYS & THE SHETLANDS
ISLE OF MAN
▪ own language (Manx) died in 1944, but kept alive by
organizations
ISLE OF WIGHT
ISLE OF SCILLY
3
, English: CHUKUS 2019-2020
CHANNEL ISLANDS
POLITICAL UNITS
1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2. The Republic of Ireland, aka Eire
3. The Isle of Man
4. The Channel Islands
▪ Political diversity
o 4 ‘political units’ in the British Isles not all with same status
o 4 ‘countries’ or ‘home nations’ within UK not all with same status
▪ England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
e.g. football and rugby: four “national” teams
▪ Linguistic diversity
o English with many regional accents & standards
▪ Received Pronunciation (RP)
e.g. Queen/actor speaks
▪ Cockney
▪ Scottish
o Celtic Languages: Celtic fringe
CELTIC FRINGE
▪ Green: used to be Celtic
▪ Yellow: existing Celtic
CELTIC LANGUAGES
Two groups in modern-day Insular Celtic languages
1. Goidelic (Garlic) group = earlier Celtic immigrants (2000 – 1200 BC)
a. Scottish Gaelic
b. Irish Gaelic
c. Manx
2. Brythonic group: later Celtic immigrants
a. Welsh
b. Cornish
4
