Change in the English Language

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  • Period: 450 to 1100

    Old English

    Germanic tribes influenced the Britain creating what is known as Old English
  • 673

    Birth of the Venerable Bede

    The monk who wrote The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, an important source of information about Anglo Saxon settlement
  • 700

    First Manuscript of English Records

  • 975

    Beowulf's Writing

    Beowulf's Writing
    Suspected his poems are written in Old English.
  • 1066

    The Norman Invasion

    The Norman Invasion
    Norman conquest of England.
  • Period: 1100 to 1500

    Middle English

    William the Conqueror invaded and conquered England. The new conqueror's brought with them a kind of French.
  • 1150

    Earliest surviving texts in Middle English.

    Approximate date
  • 1258

    England's First Written Constitution

    King Henry III is forced to accept the Provisions of Oxford,
  • 1387

    Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

    Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
    Collection of 24 stories. Between 1387-1400
  • 1399

    First Speech in English

    At his coronation, King Henry IV becomes the first English monarch to deliver a speech in English.
  • 1440

    The Invention of the Printing Press

    Created by Johannes Gutenberg. Enabled the mass production of books.
  • 1492

    The Discovery of North America

  • Period: 1500 to

    Early Modern English

    A sudden and distinct change in pronunciation starting with vowels. The 16th century, the British had contact with others around the world. This and the Renaissance of Classical learning introduced new words and phrases.
  • 1549

    Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England

    First version was published

  • William Bullokar's Pamphlet for Grammar

    First grammar of English is published

  • Table Alphabeticall is published

    Robert Cawdrey's first English dictionary was published.

  • The American Revolution

    The American Revolution
    Colonial revolt that took place between 1765-1783
  • Period: to

    Late Modern English

    Vocabulary changed drastically from Early Modern English. New words arising from two principals, the Industrial Revolution and the British Empire. The English language adopted foreign words from other countries.

  • Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio

    First printed collection of Shakespeare's plays.