How Did English Evolve?

War and conquest are not the only factors in language change and development, as the narrator of a short video points out in her lecture about the evolution of the English language. Using the phrases, "They gave us a hearty welcome," and "They gave us a cordial reception," the speaker details how people from different language groups, living peacefully side-by-side, can also effect change. She concludes her comments by noting that even without knowledge of the origins of the words in the two phrases, on the feeling level, listeners perceive a marked difference in the connotations of the two. History does, indeed, live in the words we speak and hear.