Influence of The Bible Upon English Words

Abstract

The Holy Bible, which has been included on the list of World Cultural Heritages, is the source of western culture, has had a profound influence on all aspects of the social life of the western countries. A large number of English words and allusions are from The Bible, and these words and allusions is a key to understanding and studying western languages and culture. Therefore, discussing the profound influence of The Bible upon English words at this level is of great significance. This paper begins with the English words sourced from The Bible, and then probes into the influences upon the English language. This thesis can increase the readers’ Bible knowledge, eliminate the cultural barrier in trans-cultural communication and make readers understand and use English language to make trans-cultural communication better. Through this thesis, we can view the Holy Bible’s great influence in the Western countries from another angle, and we also can get a new field and a new way of viewing and analyzing the Holy Bible. Meanwhile, this thesis is helpful for us to analyze and study English language. Especially, it is greatly helpful to study the developing process and features of English language, and the origin of English words.