History of the English Language
What is English?
A short history of the origins and development of English
The history of the English language extremely started with the arrival of 3 Germanic tribes WHO invaded United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland throughout the fifth century AD. These tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and therefore the Jutes, crossed the sea from what these days is Kingdom of Denmark and northern Federal Republic of Germany. At that point the inhabitants of england spoke a Indo-Hittite. however most of the Celtic speakers were pushed west and north by the invaders - principally into what's currently Wales, European country and eire. The Angles came from "Englaland" [sic] and their language was referred to as "Englisc" - from that the words "England" and "English" area unit derived.
Map of Germanic invasions
Germanic invaders entered United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the east and south coasts within the fifth century.
Old English (450-1100 AD)
Example of English
Part of Beowulf, a literary work written in English.
The invasive Germanic tribes spoke similar languages, that in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland developed into what we have a tendency to currently decision English. English didn't sound or seem like English these days. Native English speakers currently would have nice problem understanding English. however, concerning half the foremost ordinarily used words in English language have English roots. The words be, sturdy and water, for instance, derive from English. English was spoken till around 1100.
Middle English (1100-1500)
Example of Middle English
An example of Middle English by poet.
In 1066 William the victor, the Duke of Normandie (part of contemporary France), invaded and conquered European nation. The new conquerors (called the Normans) brought with them a form of French, that became the language of the Royal Court, and therefore the ruling and business categories. For a amount there was a form of linguistic category division, wherever the lower categories spoke English and therefore the higher categories spoke French. within the ordinal century English became dominant in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland once more, however with several French words else. This language is named Middle English. it absolutely was the language of the good writer poet (c1340-1400), however it might still be troublesome for native English speakers to know these days.
Modern English
Early English language (1500-1800)
Towards the top of Middle English, a explosive and distinct amendment in pronunciation (the nice Vowel Shift) started, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the sixteenth century a people had contact with several peoples from round the world.
Example of Early English language
Hamlet's noted "To be, or to not be" lines, written in Early English language by William Shakspere.
This, and therefore the Renaissance of Classical learning, meant that a lot of new words and phrases entered the language. The invention of printing conjointly meant that there was currently a standard language in print. Books became cheaper and a lot of individuals learned to scan. Printing conjointly brought standardization to English. orthography and descriptive linguistics became mounted, and therefore the idiom of London, wherever most business homes were, became the quality. In 1604 the primary English lexicon was printed.
Late English language (1800-Present)
The main distinction between Early English language and Late English language is vocabulary. Late English language has more words, arising from 2 principal factors: first off, the commercial Revolution and technology created a requirement for brand new words; second, a people Empire at its height lined one quarter of the Earth's surface, and therefore the West Germanic language adopted foreign words from several countries.
Varieties of English
From around 1600, the English organization of North America resulted within the creation of a definite yankee sort of English. Some English pronunciations and words "froze" once they reached America. In some ways that, American is a lot of just like the English of William Shakspere than trendy British English is. Some expressions that a people decision "Americanisms" area unit really original British expressions that were preserved within the colonies whereas lost for a time in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (for example trash for rubbish, loan as a verb rather than lend, and fall for autumn; another example, frame-up, was re-imported into United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland through Hollywood criminal movies). Spanish conjointly had associate influence on American (and after British English), with words like canon, ranch, stampede and vigilance man being samples of Spanish words that entered English through the settlement of the yankee West. French words (through Louisiana) and West African words (through the slave trade) conjointly influenced American (and thus, to associate extent, British English).
Today, American is especially powerful, because of the USA's dominance of cinema, television, musical style, trade and technology (including the Internet). however there area unit several different forms of English round the world, together with for instance Australian English, New Seeland English, Canadian English, South African English, Indian English and Caribbean English.
The Germanic Family of Languages
Chart of the Germanic family of languages
English could be a member of the Germanic family of languages.
Germanic could be a branch of the Indo-Hittite family.
A brief chronology of English
55 BC Roman invasion of england by Gaius Julius Caesar. native inhabitants speak Celtish
AD 43 Roman invasion and occupation. starting of Roman rule of england.
436 Roman withdrawal from United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland complete.
449 Settlement of england by Germanic invaders begins
450-480 Earliest celebrated English inscriptions. previous English
1066 William the victor, Duke of Normandie, invades and conquers European nation.
c1150 Earliest living manuscripts in Middle English. Middle English
1348 English replaces Latin because the language of instruction in most faculties.
1362 English replaces French because the language of law. English is employed in Parliament for the primary time.
c1388 Chaucer starts writing The tale.
c1400 The nice Vowel Shift begins.
1476 William printer establishes the primary English machine. Early English language
1564 Shakespeare is born.
1604 Table Alphabeticall, the primary English lexicon, is printed.
1607 The initial permanent English settlement within the New World (Jamestown) is established.
1616 Shakespeare dies.
1623 Shakespeare's initial Folio is printed
1702 The initial daily English-language newspaper, The Daily Courant, is printed in London.
1755 Samuel Johnson publishes his English lexicon.
1776 Thomas President of the United States writes the yankee Declaration of Independence.
1782 Britain abandons its colonies in what's later to become the USA.
1828 Webster publishes his American lexicon. Late English language
1922 The British Broadcasting Corporation is supported.
1928 The English language lexicon is printed.
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