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Period: 400 to 1100
Old English
Britain had developed a language from the Germanic Tribes into Old English. -
430
Germanic Tribes
The Celts had let the Jutes protect them from the Picts in return for letting them stay on the coast of Britain. Other Germanic tribes followed them and their influence on language grew as more people arrived. -
450
Sample Words From Old English
"Brabble" means to argue stubbornly. An "Elflock" is a lock of hair that has been tangled by elves. "Erstwhile" is a word used to refer to a former time. "Lanspresado" is a word used to describe a person who has conveniently forgotten their money. -
597
Introduction to Christianity
In 597, the Romans had Christianized many of the Celts that were North of England. The religion spread quickly and with it came new words that were created from the Anglo-Saxon alphabet that was made of runes. -
750
The Writing of Beowulf
"Beowulf" is known as one of the earliest epic poems ever written in Old English. -
878
The Vikings
The treaty between the Anglo-Saxons and Alfred the Great meant that the Vikings had control over the North and East of the country from London to Chester where they would influence the language there. -
1066
The Norman Invasion
New England was conquered by the Duke of Normandy and French was introduced to England. -
1100
Sample Words From Middle English
Some words from Middle English are governor, crown, duke, army, and parliament. Most of the language was made up of words describing people in power or new governments. -
Period: 1100 to 1500
Middle English
The Normans had brought the French language to England which was later made the superior language over English. -
1209
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge was formed by scholars who had come from Oxford for safety. Many people were taught lessons about language and writing and would become educated in the topic. -
1337
The Hundred Year War
The Hundred Year War lasted from 1337 to 1453. During this time the English language rose in popularity over French because of the French being labeled as the enemy. English once again was evolving as time went on between the English and the French. -
1387
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
These tales are a collection of stories written in Middle English. -
1399
The Official Language of England
After King Henry IV was coronated he delivered a speech in English and made it the official language of England. -
1436
The invention of the Printing Press
With the invention of the printing press more books were being printed and an English dictionary was made. -
1492
The discovery of North America
As North America experienced English colonization the English language was changing due to new cultures and land being discovered. -
1500
Sample Words From Early Modern English
Early Modern English words include thou, whiche, fruyte, and creacyon. Pronunciation was influencing the spelling of words which lead to vowels being exaggerated which reflected on the way people talked and wrote. -
Period: 1500 to
Early Modern English
In this era vowels were being pronounced in a shorter way and new phrases were starting to appear as well as more words. -
Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio
A collection of Shakespeare's plays were published in a book. -
English Vowel Shift
From 1300 to 1700, long vowels were being pronounce differently. The way words were pronounced heavily influenced the spelling and grammar of the words which lead to some of the greatest writings in history. -
The American Revolution
As the American Revolution went on from 1775 to 1783, America's use of the English language had changed from the British way of speaking as new words and expressions were invented. -
English in the Industrial and Scientific Revolution
The industrial Revolution brought new inventions and ideas into the English language. The more things that were being invented meant that more words were created to describe them. -
Sample Words From Modern English
Modern English words such as camera, engine, combustion, taken aback, and electricity were products of the industrial revolution and the advancements of technology and science. -
Period: to
Late Modern English
The English language has expanded and now consists of more words overall. -
New American Dialect
As America was expanding and new immigrants started to arrive there became a mix of languages and accents from different parts of the world. Native Americans had also contributed many of their words that were added into the English language which helped to expand the vocabulary.
