Origins and Nomenclature

The name Britain is very ancient: the earliest known form is believed to date back to about 325 BC. The term Great Britain was first widely used during the reign of King James VI of Scotland to describe the island, on which co-existed two separate kingdoms ruled over by the same monarch.

Often the terms Britain and British refer to the whole of the UK or its predecessors, or institutions associated with them, and not just Great Britain. For example, United Kingdom monarchs are often called "British monarchs"; United Kingdom Prime Ministers are often called "British Prime Ministers". Such usage is generally seen as correct. However the use of the term English for British, as in "Queen of England" is clearly incorrect; England in a sense of a separate state has not existed since 1707.

Why "Great" Britain rather than Britain?

There are in fact two Britains: the island of Britain in the British Isles and the land of Britain in France. In French these are known as Grande Bretagne and Bretagne, in English as Great Britain and Brittany. The word "Great" in this context has its old meaning of "big". Likewise, the ending "-y" on the end of "Brittany" has the meaning "Little", as in "doggy", meaning "small dog", or "Jimmy", meaning "little Jim". During medieval times, the British Isles were referred to as Britannia major and Britannia minor. The term "Bretayne the grete" was used by chroniclers as early as 1338, but it was not used officially until King James I proclaimed himself "King of Great Britain" on 20 of October 1604 to avoid the more cumbersome title "King of England and Scotland".

2. Answer the questions:

1.What is the geographical position of Great Britain?

2. What is the total area of the country?

3. Describe the climate of Great Britain.

4. What do you know about the chief rivers of Great Britain and their importance in the life of people?

5. When did the UK become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

6. Why is it erroneously to use the term Great Britain (or Britain) when the UK is meant?

7. Describe the political system of Great Britain.

8. When was the term Great Britain first widely used?

9. Why do we call the country "Great" Britain rather than Britain?

Check the pronunciation of the following words in the dictionary.

Albion, erroneously, archipelago, latitude,cumbersome, heather, the Strait of Dover, nomenclature, predecessor, hereditary.

Language Focus

Explain the meanings of the following words and word combinations in English and use them in situations of your own.

- county

- Albion

- lay off

- archipelago

- latitude

- comprise

- glorious heather-covered moors

- submergence

- harbor

- an indented coast line

- shallowness

- to facilitate

- hereditary

- predecessor

- evolve

- erroneously

- cumbersome

5. Give the synonyms for the following words:

Evolve, variety, erroneously, cumbersome, comprise, predecessor.

Date: 2016-01-14; view: 933