HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
“THE LANGUAGE OF OUR LIVES”
INTRODUCTION TO UNIT 1
A few things to know…
AD – means “anno Domini,” Latin for ‘in the year ofour Lord.’
BC – before Christ
Medieval is not really pronounced or spelled “mid-evil.” It is a Latin term that refers to the Middle Ages.
When did English begin?
English started in the 5th century AD.
3 Germanic tribes invaded England
Angles
Saxons
Jutes
At the time, people in Britain spoke a Celtic language
The Celtic speakers were pushed into Scotland andIreland during the Germanic invasion
Old English: (450-1100 AD)
The language of the Germanic tribes developed intowhat we call Old English
Nearly impossible for modern readers to understand
This is NOT the language Shakespeare used.
1066 AD
William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy (fromnorthern France) invaded Britain and won.
For a while, upper classes spoke French; lowerclasses spoke English.
By the 14th century (1300s), English became thedominant language again, but it was mixed withFrench words.
This language was called Middle English
Still hard for modern readers to understand; still not“Shakespeare’s language.”
Modern English (1500-1800)
The Great Vowel Shift took place
Vowel pronunciation became shorter and shorter over time.
Britain came into contact with othercultures/languages.
The Renaissance led to more widespread education.
Printing was invented, so people had more access toa common language.
Spelling & grammar became “fixed.”
1604- The first English dictionary is published.
Late Modern English (1800-Present)
What we speak now
Inspired by Industrial Revolution and technology
Changed significantly as a result of English territorycovering ¼ of the earth’s surface by this period
Ticket Out…
1.Which three Germanic tribes invaded England in 5AD?
2.What does AD stand for?
3.What country was William the Conqueror from?