Thread: English languages main literary sources

If you had to think what pieces of literature influenced the English language the most, you'd probably guess the top two. The Bible, first, and William Shakespeare, in second place, have had the greatest influence on the English language, with countless words and phrases borrowed from them.

However, not many are aware the third main influence is George Orwell (a personal favourite of mine). Several words and phrases coming mainly from 1984 and Animal Farm are of common use in the English language.

Examples:
- 2+2=5 = To know something is wrong, yet to accept it without questioning its falsehood.
- Doublespeak = To say one thing and to mean another one.
- Newspeak = A sort of new language created by the powerful to conceal their actions and to rewrite history.
- Big Brother = An entity capable of watching your every move. There was a whole show about this, however devoid of meaning it was...
- Thoughtcrime = The crime of having thoughts that contradict what the government says you should think.
- Thought police = The entity in charge of punishing people who commit thoughtcrime.
- "All animals are equals, but some animals are more equal than others."

I'm not sure in what order he'd be placed, but Dickens was also a great influence when it comes to coining words. Here are a few of his creations (some of them are quite commonplace and might surprise you!):

• Doormat
• Boredom
• Butterfingers
• The creeps -- as in Spiders give me the creeps! ｡｡゛(ﾉ><)ﾉ

I bet there are many others! And many other writers that contributed to our everyday vocabulary!