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History of the English Language

Old English refers to the period from 449-1100 AD when England was invaded by Germanic tribes like the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. Their language became the basis of English. The earliest written records date to around 700 AD. Middle English emerged after the Norman conquest in 1066, bringing French influences. By 1154, English had changed significantly from Old English. Modern English began in 1500 with the introduction of the printing press, increasing literacy, travel, and education through the Renaissance, continuing to change the language.

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922 views12 pages

History of the English Language

Old English refers to the period from 449-1100 AD when England was invaded by Germanic tribes like the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. Their language became the basis of English. The earliest written records date to around 700 AD. Middle English emerged after the Norman conquest in 1066, bringing French influences. By 1154, English had changed significantly from Old English. Modern English began in 1500 with the introduction of the printing press, increasing literacy, travel, and education through the Renaissance, continuing to change the language.

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FROM A BRIEF HISTORY OF

ENGLISH
BY PAUL ROBERTS
1. OLD ENGLISH
USUALLY REFERS TO THE PERIOD IN THE HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
COVERING THE YEARS FROM 449 (OR 450) TO 1100 (OR 1150). AROUND THE YEAR 450,
ENGLAND WAS INVADED BY THE GERMANIC TRIBES (THE ANGELS, THE SAXONS, AND THE
JUTES). THESE GERMANIC TRIBES ARE REGARDED AS “THE FOUNDERS OF THE ENGLISH
NATION” [ALBERT C. BAUGH AND THOMAS CABLE, A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE (LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, 2002)]. THE ACCOUNT OF THESE INVASIONS IS FOUND
IN THE BENEDICTINE MONK BEDE’S WORK ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH
PEOPLE, WHICH WAS COMPLETED IN 731 (BAUGH AND CABLE 2002). THE EARLIEST
RECORDS OF THE LANGUAGE DATE BACK TO ABOUT 700.
2. Middle English
covers the period from 1100 (or 1150) to
1500. William of Normandy, a French
territory, conquered England in 1066. The
French rule brought change to the English
language. The Anglo-Saxons chronicle
existed until 1154. By that time, the English
language had taken on new futures different
from the ones of Old English.
3. Modern English
covers the period 1500 to the present in the
history of the English language. The introduction
of the movable printing process into England by
William Caxton in 1476 made possible the
production of uniform copies of big numbers of
books. The increase in the number of schools, in
literacy production, and in travel and
explorations brought change to the language from
the time of the Renaissance in the 1500s.
4. The Anglo-Saxon
is the term that came about with
reference to the Teutonic tribes
that invaded England. The term
is often used to refer to “the
earliest period of English”
5. Indo-European
language
is the family of
languages to which
English belongs.
6. The Celts
were “the original inhabitants
of the British Isles before the
arrival of the Romans”
[Phillip, The Story of English
(London: Quercus, 2009)].
7. Dialect
is a variation of a
language.
8. Case
is the choice of form
depending on the function of
words (nouns, pronouns,
adjectives) in the sentences in
an inflected language.
9. Standardization
suggests an “ideal” norm or
model of usage.
10. Mutually intelligible
language
indicated that the language are
distinct from each other and are
not dialects of the same
language.

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