Brittany Brinegar
Mr. Roberts
Ap Lit/Comp
September 21, 2011
History of the English Language
The English language started with three Germanic tribes who invaded Britain in the 5th century A.D. The three tribes were the Angles, Saxtons, and the Jutes they crossed the North Sea, which we know as Denmark today and northern Germany. During this time period the people of Britain spoke a Celtic language. English comes from the derived word Englisc by the Angles who lived in England.
There were three types of English periods up until the present day. The first one was the old English, which lasted from 450 to 1100 AD. Old English was developed in Britain because the invading Germanic tribes spoke similar languages that we now refer to as the old English.
The second one is early modern English, which lasted from 1500 to 1800. During this time there was a sudden distinct change in pronunciation with vowels becoming shorter and shorter. There were many new words and phrases; also the printing meant there was a common language in print. In 1604 the first dictionary was published.
The final English period was the late modern English that lasted from 1800 to present day. The difference between early and late modern English is the vocabulary. Late modern English has more words because of the industrial revolution and technology that was becoming very popular. In the 1600 colonization in North America resulted in a distinct American variety of English. Today English is very influential because of its dominance in cinema, television, music, trade, and technology.
There were many events that took place in this time the most specific event was in 1066 William the conqueror, the duke of Normandy invaded and conquered England. The Normans kind of brought a new French that became the language of the royal court. For a period of time the low class spoke English and the upper classes spoke French. This language also became known as the Middle English because many French words were added and also became dominant in Britain. It’s still difficult for native English speakers to understand today.
Another event that took place in England and was between the 1350 and 1500, it was the Great Vowel Shift and this is where a major change in the pronunciation of the English language. English spelling was becoming standardized in the 15th and 16th centuries this particular event was responsible for many of the peculiarities of the English spelling.
The exact causes for this shift are still mysteries today. One theory is that the mass migration to the southeast of England after the Black Death. Another influence in this theory was that the great political and social upheavals in the 15th century were largely contemporaneous with the Great Vowel Shift.
Throughout history the English language has changed so much and in the present today English is one of the most widely spoken and written languages today with 380 million native English speakers. 1 out of every 6 people speak English the accents and different takes in diverse make this so unique and a language to be admired. The English language has survived many years and it will probably survive many more years.
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