Professor David Crystal: The Influence of the King James Bible on the English Language

[@ahappyloafofbread]

Professor David Crystal is such a witty person! Listening to his lecture is like listening to a delightfully interesting conversation or story! I also love the grammar books he wrote, and also his book A Little Book of Language. I did a research project on the King James Bible's influence on the English language, and this video taught me numerous new things! Round of applause for Professor David Crystal!

[@dereksamueldani7336]

David Crystal is crystal clear in presenting his ideas.

[@mauriziosanarico5914]

I love David Crystal style both in speaking and writing

[@ChalkiePerfect]

David Crystal is excellent here as always. I especially like his reconstruction of the Elizabethan accent; the Bible sounds great read that way.

[@rolandscales9380]

I have often wondered what it would sound like.

[@gillbullen2080]

I was lucky enough to be present at this lecture. It was a delight to hear, and so enormously interesting. David Crystal is definitely in the "National Treasure" category.

[@ahope4u2]

I remember seeing you! You stood out to me because of the very nice way you were dressed and carried yourself. I was the man wearing the purple shirt with a tie!

[@gillbullen2080]

@@ahope4u2 that's very kind of you, but I can't for the life of me remember what I was wearing, and I'm amazed that you can. Maybe it was some other elegant person?

[@Oyerandterminer]

. . .. .. . .. .... . . . @,. ,, ...... .. . .. .

[@marconatrix]

I never expected him to be such an accomplished speaker. If only all academics had that talent :-)

[@albertnortononymous9020]

marconatrix Well in England, they offer Rhetoric classes. I don’t know of any such classes in the colleges and universities in a hundred-mile radius of where I live.

[@VideosSTTME]

No wonder his son is such a fantastic actor.

[@impcus2752]

@@albertnortononymous9020 that and he is literally an expert on conversational linguistics

[@narinenarineh3036]

Professor David Crystal is excellent! Thanks a lot British council!

[@mdalamhasan5081]

I admire Tutor, David crystal.

[@amccagsiay1681]

Excellent talk!as always.thank you very much!continue to be a blessing to the language teachers and all.

[@athumanishaabanissa3980]

He is very helpful professor of English language and linguistics in the world I previously didn't know whether there is the plural of English which is Englishes which roughly refers to the variation of English language in the World, in terms of vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation and grammar.

[@gastonrosny6849]

I'm very glad to listen to the Professor

[@yarlagaddasalomanraju7069]

Wonderful and Crystal clear lecture given by Mr David Crystal regarding the Word of the God, Bible influence on the English language

[@margavyclentusvalcin5751]

😊 We must not forgot that the kings James versions is not an invention but a translation But it did set a fondation for the English language 🙂

[@72Yonatan]

David, you are an amusing and erudite speaker. Thank you.

[@jennifersutherland9537]

What a lovely pronunciation!

[@MANOJKUMAR-rw4gh]

Very nice, very good, very beautiful pronunciation. Best of luck,God bless you, Have a nice life.

[@dr.janardanpaudelphd4749]

Very important lecture of sir Crystal

[@BFDT-4]

David Crystal is cool! I'd love to have had him as one of my teachers! And in a fashion, with his son and the demonstrations of OP (Original Pronunciation of Shakespeare 1600) and other things I am finding, he is NOW my teacher, too! I seem to collect good teachers, as it were!

[@pauloeustaquiodeandrade5605]

What a knowledge this linguist has!

[@donaldrichardson9132]

I very curious to know what was the dialect of my maternal Great Great Great. Creek and African free person of color mullatto male ancester master from Edinburgh Scotland in reading the King James Bible him on the methodist plantation in the 1840s in Jackson Butts county Georgia in his master's home as house servants and a member of the Jackson methodist church. Did the sound of the White Scottish Accent influence the speech patterns and intonations of my free people of colors English dialect and have I retain some of the earlier dialects with the Scottish connection in my black experience being a 64 year old black man from middle Georgia as I read the king james bible?

[@antonyragu84]

Amazingly scholarly and impressive.

[@alcebiadesmoura9601]

The most difficulty english language learning is, in my opinion, the listening. If you add subtitles on your videos, it will great for me, too. Thanks.

[@EnglishWithMubeen]

I like David Crystal’s way of talking.

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

Great talk.

[@swamy8998]

Thank you very much sir, English Communication share with in the public

[@JNDorene]

Wonderful lecture. Thank you. I enjoyed it very much. Dr. Crystal is fascinating as always - and I was so happy to learn more things about this topic. :)

[@rolandscales9380]

The most important influence of the King James Bible, often overlooked, has been language planning. The same book, written in the same dialect of the same language, was present on all pulpits in all churches in Britain, undermining the status of regional languages and dialects alike.

[@ianhowlett4682]

Prof Dave C is a true legend.

[@waheedanthony]

What an amazing style of delivering a lecture on a great top !

[@1101millie97]

If spoken aloud in the Original Pronunciation, I wonder just how truly poetic the King James' version of the Holy Bible would sound like...

[@rana_mutk]

@teatimelud: Sir, I second you. It indeed is a wonderful lecture, excellently delivered and brilliantly put by David Crystal. Thanks for uploading this lecture. From Pakistan

[@mwalimudubai1406]

Prof. David knows everything there is to know about English. I wish he was my Uncle...lol

[@DS-uo5ie]

I feel I’m being educated again! Thank you!

[@mikezhou9701]

Superb lecture! Interesting and informative.

[@dranilganvir2712]

Mr. Professor I have read the KJV many-a-time, still I read it daily.

[@HangTiffany777LEBillionaire]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fInYdqSim7yVma8 🙌👐 Hallelujah JESUS, praise GOD , UK where the nation YOU have chosen to use English as global communication language : The most accurate Translation The KJV Bible : I am one of the soul being redeemed through English Bible be born again in Spirit with evidence of Speaking in new tongues : Heavenly languages & baptised immersed under Water in JESUS Name... 3:5 JESUS answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of GOD. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZfTfWWshNl9p5o kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJTKYqVvnpxqfZY kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpfXooCcdpqBqtk kzbin.info/www/bejne/fInYdqSim7yVma8 kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6nHmqyaarSYgrM

[@monazangeneh6186]

As always extraordinary!

[@gastonrosny6849]

Excellent Professor

[@rongiemoli9459]

Nice discussion...

[@alcebiadesmoura9601]

Correcting ....... it will be great ....

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

36:15 - Haha! I like his imitation of Barack Obama’s accent (overcompensates on the Americanisms a bit, but great fun). 😂

[@dranilganvir2712]

Earnest Hemingway used 'and' excessively in his writings, and his novels are popular over all the world. In India we love the style of KJV. We all Indians love the figurative language.

[@libertytree3209]

I grew up with the King James. I now study with the NASB, but I find I still quote all the time the KJV. It's just beautiful and sticks in my mind. It's so incredible.

[@thegoodlydragon7452]

He completely ignores walking through the valley of the shadow of death. A popular rap song (Gangster's Paradise) used that one.

[@Oceananswer]

In Jamaica, we have a plant that we call "Joseph's coat of many colors." Or rather "Joseph coatuh many coluh."

[@nhprman]

Dearly love this man's work, he is delightful to hear, and OP is fascinating relating to Shakespeare, but in this presentation, he seems to be intent on lessening the KJV's influence. (Disclosure: I prefer modern translations.) 51 minutes before mentioning William Tyndale, who's influence on the KJV cannot be ignored, and ought not be degraded in such a fashion. How on earth can one bury the lead so far into a supposed analysis of the KJV? (But thank you for mentioning him and others!) Tyndale greatly affected MANY words used by the King James bible. Why? Because he is credited with inventing so many words and bringing them into the English language. Beautiful, Fisherman, Landlady, Seashore, Stumbling block, Taskmaster, Zealous, Brokenhearted, Passover, Scapegoat, Atonement, Modesty, Mediocrity, Industrious, Long-suffering, Peacemakers, to name a few. The UNIQUE phrases from the Tyndale Bible were copied directly into the KJV include, "the salt of the earth, a law unto themselves, filthy lucre, gave up the ghost, the signs of the times, and fight the good fight. All are used today almost daily. Yet no word from Mr. Crystal. No, this won't do. And of course we must give credit to Wycliffe (who invented many words, such as "female) and other early translators for their additions as well. The Bible has indeed been a conduit and was hugely influential on our language, however one may feel about it as a religious work. And yet, having said this, I'm still a huge 'fan' of his work, and wish him well.

[@BFDT-4]

+nhprman - Well, now you have stirred my curiosity to learn more about Tyndale's works (more than his Bible, I would guess?) and read his English. But regarding Crystal, this is one speech, does the book do better justice to Tyndale and Wycliffe? I haven't read it yet. Cheers from the Americas!

[@bigbenhebdomadarius6252]

+nhprman That wasn't the point of the lecture as I understood it.

[@jaybespoke]

I would agree that it wasn't the point of the lecture. Also, it's Prof. Crystal, or if you insist, Dr. Crystal. Never is it "Mr."

[@michaelart4878]

Our LORD, GOD and SAVIOUR did create the simplest fabric (H²O) to sustain all of life here on earth. Just as the Jordan and the Euphrates are made of this fabric, so to also are the Bow and the ELbow. 🌱LIFE IS BUT A VAPOUR (H²O)🌹 HOLY BIBLE Habakkuk 3:9 Thy bow was made quite naked (bare), according to the oaths of the tribes (oaths were sworn over your arrows), even thy word, Selah. Thou didst cleave (divided) the earth with rivers. 🙌ALLELUIA🙌 A-men' 🌿

[@amazingbibleantiquities7221]

He overlooked 1 Corinthians 15:32 on eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.

[@ChrisHuston.]

23:57 -- 24:56

[@kittykitty471]

1 Corinthians 15:32 does not include the "be merry" part.

[@irvinson4026]

Awesome lecture! Thought I'd just watch a few minutes but ended up watching the whole lecture. Thank you. BTW, I love the King James Bible 👍

[@HangTiffany777LEBillionaire]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fInYdqSim7yVma8 🙌👐 Hallelujah JESUS, praise GOD , UK where the nation YOU have chosen to use English as global communication language : The most accurate Translation The KJV Bible : I am one of the soul being redeemed through English Bible be born again in Spirit with evidence of Speaking in new tongues : Heavenly languages & baptised immersed under Water in JESUS Name... 3:5 JESUS answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of GOD. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZfTfWWshNl9p5o kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJTKYqVvnpxqfZY kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpfXooCcdpqBqtk kzbin.info/www/bejne/fInYdqSim7yVma8 kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6nHmqyaarSYgrM

[@guilhermesobrinho1329]

Came eagerly to the comments in the middle of the lecture hoping for the number of idioms and met frustration alone. Lol Gotta watch it all through. Not twice I wish.

[@alanjhaugen]

Very interesting.

[@fourthaeon9418]

the powers that be. Labor of love Cross to bear Put house to order Lamb to slaughter Woe is me beast of burden riting on the wall spirit willing flesh is weak Bite the dust

[@zaynab1801]

Very interesting. Well said.

[@dranilganvir2712]

We all Indian Anglican Christian love KJV . Our Indian English is favorable to understand it. Cambridge Edition of Av is liked by all Indian Christians.

[@sgt7]

Interesting introduction. However, the lecture starts at 4:26

[@philipwebb960]

Thank you.

[@cherylwatkins588]

Thankyou

[@ParaSniper2504]

And Shakespeare was looking at Tyndale!

[@keybawd4023]

Tyndale is so unrecognised in the public. His translation of this bible is a wonder of writing, of style, of rhythm and story telling. And to think he was burnt at the stake.

[@rawiaal-gamal8163]

Thank you!

[@hypnotechno]

he good speaker English teacher best me him Crystal him me teach English. Hero

[@hazartilirot]

It would have been much better for learners or listeners, if you had uploaded subtitles for the video. It is a great opportunity to listen to a live British English.

[@youssefzaki1431]

Exceptional

[@Albukhshi]

@ 14:17 It's also relatively common in Arabic to this day--though not to the point that it makes up 3/4 of a give work :P

[@Lee7676]

i think william tyndales translation was the most influential tanslation of king james bible.it is so sad before tyndale finished his translations of old tastament,church authority killed him.i like king james bible,but tyndale used direct,simple language to express original Greek new testament.king james bible have Latin vulgate influence.sometimes,translators picked Latin vulgate reading over textus reseptus.

[@jeanhodgson8623]

There is no way that the King James translators would have been influenced by the ghastly Latin Vulgate. The whole idea was to get away from that horror and have a prefect translation in English.

[@lweismann]

I did this as a child.

[@Zemlod]

re 40:30: let's not forget about "My Brother's Kippah", selling hand crocheted kippahs and hats...

[@SiggiNebel]

But no canes?

[@chuuwoyomu]

+SiggiNebel Canes Enable

[@LifeandLifeMoreAbundantly]

The King James Bible is the greatest book ever written, and still remains the worlds best selling book. It's responsible for the best of Western Civilization. It was originally influenced by the William Tyndall, a scholar and expert in Greek, Latin, Hebrew and English. He was burned at the stake for writing the scriptures in the language of the common people; upon his death he ordered his work on the bible to be given to King James ~ and the rest is history. I thank God for this living and powerful version of the bible.

[@mboursnell]

Very good! Thanks.

[@steve154life]

My teacher loved how í pronuunced hir name it was patricia but í pronunced it patreesha

[@justincb5193]

I, a southerner from the United States, do not notice the past tenses, spellings, the "greengrocer's apostrophe," or sentence structure as much, but do notice the eth and est endings, vocabulary, and the pronouns.

[@justincb5193]

The proffessor did a good job with his Barak Obama impression.

[@justincb5193]

T4 shall begat T5? The title should've been T4 shall beget T5. How come people can't beget children(as in Julian begat Joseph, and Joseph begat Justin), but only successors(as in Mccain begat Bush)?

[@IRSHADALIification]

great!!! indeed

[@muthamalasuresh8250]

Love from India ❤️

[@SiggiNebel]

Puns with quotes of the Bible may have been frowned upon as blasphemic in protestant England, but in Catholic Italy (and at the times of King James) they weren't, not per se, at least. A Catholic clergyman and fierce opponent of the new astronomical ideas for instance used the verse of Acts 1:11 in an polemic paper - or rather fatwa - against Galilei: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?" (to take the King James version).

[@riverbedflower7498]

+SiggiNebel Well well. How amusing! I did not know that happen! Care to share the name of the paper?

[@SiggiNebel]

RiverBed Flower I don't know if the link I could find,will help you much, but I will not withhold it. It's from an old German book and the passage (on p.63) goes literally: "The monks now preached against Galilei in public and one of them, rather wittily, chose as his reading [Acts 1:11, quoted in Latin]" books.google.de/books?id=6l44AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA63&lpg=PA63&dq=predigten+gegen+galilei&source=bl&ots=HVczJWEl45&sig=riMvilQ3soM18qoUG_xr-e8sk30&hl=de&sa=X&ved=0CCAQ6AEwATgKahUKEwjY8-PhsJHJAhXI73IKHTuHAfE#v=onepage&q=predigten%20gegen%20galilei&f=false

[@riverbedflower7498]

Thank you :)

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

I speak French, but whenever those Québécois KZbin ads come on, δεν καταλαβαίνω Χριστό...

[@muhilan8540]

In the US we just say "Eat, drink, and be merry."

[@egmccann]

Well, it depends on circumstance and context. Sometimes, yes, we just say that and leave it as is. Other times, the "for tomorrow we die" is implied. I, for one, tend to think those just using the first part as a toast or wish of cheer kind of miss what they're actually saying.

[@ohrenzuhorenlee1611]

The King James Bible doesn't just tell us to read and study the Bible as a work of literature, or to examine its many influences on modern English. The King James Bible urges people to believe and live as the living Words of God, who speaks the same truths of the Bible that have been recorded and preserved since ancient times to this day.

[@samuelkurcab4325]

This is a great lecture, but I was surprised to hear the lecturer joke that his claim to fame is that he read the King James back-to-back twice. Doesn't he know that we Baptists tend to read it once or twice a year? 🙂

[@alfonsoramos3275]

Really a genious☺

[@sharkylake]

When he said he read it through to the apocrypha (hidden, the bit between the testaments not in the cannon) did he realy mean the apocalypse (reavealed) The book of revelation. It's all Greek you see, and easy to confuse yourself.

[@bigbenhebdomadarius6252]

+David Margetts It's not likely a mistake. There are editions of the Bible that put the deutero-canonical books at the end.

[@porphyrios24]

There was also an episode of Gargoyles, a little-known animated series from the mid-'90s, called 'Her Brother's Keeper'.

[@porphyrios24]

OMFG. He actually cited this moments after I commented.

[@SimplyProtestantBibleBeliever]

Does anyone know if any of these public readings @5:18 of the KJV were recorded?

[@teachmemaster2669]

Someone explain to me why he called the book "begat" 🙏🏼

[@TheMgandra]

I'd like to know how non native speakers deal with jargons, phasal verbs, slangs and business lingo, if all of these things are made of words that doesn't mean individually what it means together, they can't understand by the context because theses stuffs are out of the context. How to solve the issue?

[@albertnortononymous9020]

Marcelo Gandra Just like native speakers learn them-ask what the phrases mean upon hearing someone use them, with no fear of looking stupid.

[@DavidAndrewsPEC]

The Grocers Apostrophe is a remant of the influence of Dutch on English: Dutch pluralises with an apostrophe.

[@MADMACHlNE]

Well, in Middle English both plurals and possessives were formed by adding "-es" onto the end of a word. IIRC the possessive apostrophe originally signalled the elision of that e. It would make sense for plurals to have been the same at some point, and it would also make sense for one of the two use cases of the apostrophe to disappear so that its presence or absence can carry grammatical meaning.

[@kiwitrainguy]

So it is impossible to have a book published with the word "Colour / Color" in the title?

[@kiwitrainguy]

"An ape was found in a zoo to be reading Darwin (On The Origin Of Species, I presume) and asked 'Am I my keepers brother?' " Try telling that joke to a Creationist !

[@dranilganvir2712]

KJV was written in ME and not in Contemporary English but it is the only preserved word of God.

[@KateGladstone]

No, the KJV was written in EME (Early Modern English), not ME (Middle English).

[@labonazzarena]

No it is not. As the name clearly states, it's the result of a deliberate effort (1604-11) by a secular ruler to produce a version of the scriptures conform to the ecclesiology of the church of England, of which he was the head. Political history aside, I find the KJ only movement bizarre...you know that less than 300M of 2.2B Christians are Anglican/evangelical right? Everybody else use all sorts of other versions.

[@boneguardsteel994]

The style of English was made normal.

[@dranilganvir2712]

All true believers in India as well as in the United States of America read the KJV every day. I have got near about 60 different copies.

[@HangTiffany777LEBillionaire]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fInYdqSim7yVma8 🙌👐 Hallelujah JESUS, praise GOD , UK where the nation YOU have chosen to use English as global communication language : The most accurate Translation The KJV Bible : I am one of the soul being redeemed through English Bible be born again in Spirit with evidence of Speaking in new tongues : Heavenly languages & baptised immersed under Water in JESUS Name... 3:5 JESUS answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of GOD. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZfTfWWshNl9p5o kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJTKYqVvnpxqfZY kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpfXooCcdpqBqtk kzbin.info/www/bejne/fInYdqSim7yVma8 kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6nHmqyaarSYgrM

[@mrajczyk]

the pity of it is this in that he did beat my brother's keeper to smithereens.

[@kiwitrainguy]

One quotation seems to me to be pertinent in these comments, it was made by a US politician: "If the English language was good enough for Jesus Christ, it's good enough for me".

[@michaelart4878]

Our LORD, GOD and SAVIOUR did create the simplest fabric (H²O) to sustain all of life here on earth. Just as the Jordan and the Euphrates are made of this fabric, so to also are the Bow and the ELbow. 🌱LIFE IS BUT A VAPOUR (H²O)🌹 HOLY BIBLE Habakkuk 3:9 Thy bow was made quite naked (bare), according to the oaths of the tribes (oaths were sworn over your arrows, even thy word, Selah. Thou didst cleave (divided) the earth with rivers. 🙌ALLELUIA🙌 A-men' 🌿

[@jasonpalacios1363]

Also he forgot to mention in the movie New Jack City,Wesley Snipes said,"I'm my Brother's Keeper."

[@bolosweet]

HOLIer than thou. Very clever Crystal OBE, don’t be so old

[@Ynasaid]

i need english classes free, please help me 🙃 God bless 🙌

[@thomassimmons1950]

Lincoln, Whitman, Beckett, etc...all we're shaped by King Jim...I suppose it was all bullock's...yeah, that's the ticket. I read it every day, but not necessarily in OP. Spose' I'm a real dope. (Always Be Closing Dave)!

[@bigrathole]

This video gets pretty naff when he starts listing off idiom examples. Up until then it was pretty interesting though.

[@praveenlemuel1614]

nice but

[@pengpeng69420]

14:22 23:13

[@joebubbit]

"Nobody in the history of civilization has done that. I'm absolutely convinced that nobody has read the King James Bible through twice, once after the other, from beginning to end." I have many times. David approached the Book as an authority without submitting himself to the Author, He can't understand what he has read. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 2Cr2:14

[@AdvanceRun]

At time 24:10, I think he forgot this: 1 Corinthians 15:31-32 King James Version (KJV) 31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. ( I risk my life daily , if im not mistaken ) 32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die. ( He is saying, if there is no life after death we light as well just live it up .. Paul was just illustrating a point )

[@steve154life]

And used tó be pronounced ond

[@NightDoge]

21:30

[@Oyerandterminer]

Way to go David all we understand is you had to slightly twist your accent for that area of england.frightend little 🐇

[@trevorgwelch7412]

Well Spoken Speech , Very Interesting . King James May Have Borrowed From Other Bibles !

[@scotty]

King James loved Shake-speare so the King James Bible was influenced by Shake-speare's English.

[@spatesel]

It was the language that was being spoken & written during that time