-
500
5th-6th centuries
Germanic peoples (Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Frisians) speaking West Germanic dialects settle in most of Britain. Celts retreat to distant areas of Britain: Ireland, Scotland, Wales. -
Period: 500 to 1100
The Old English (or Anglo-Saxon) Period
The conquest of the Celtic population in Britain by speakers of West Germanic dialects (mainly Angles, Saxons and Jutes) eventually determined many of the essential features of the English language. (The Celtic influence on English survives mostly only in place names: London, Dover, Avon, York.) Over time, the dialects of the various invaders merged, giving rise to what we now call "Old English". -
700
7th century:
Rise of the Saxon kingdom of Wessex; the Saxon kingdoms of Essex and Middlesex; the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Mercia, East Anglia and Northumbria. St. Augustine and Irish missionaries convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity, introducing new religious words borrowed from Latin and Greek. Spanish speakers begin to refer to the country as Anglia and later as Englaland. -
700
7th century
Approximate date of the oldest manuscript records of Old English. -
900
Mid-9th century:
The Danes attack England, occupy Northumbria and establish a kingdom at York. Danish begins to influence English. -
900
Late 9th century:
King Alfred of Wessex (Alfred the Great) leads the Anglo-Saxons to victory over the Vikings, translates Latin works into English and establishes English prose writing. He uses the English language to foster a sense of national identity. -
1000
Tenth century:
English and Danish mix quite peacefully, and many Scandinavian (or Old Norse) borrowings enter the language, including common words such as sister, desire, skin, and die . -
1000
1000
Approximate date of the only surviving manuscript of the Old English epic poem Beowulf , composed by an anonymous poet between the 8th and early 11th century. -
1066
The Norman invasion:
King Harold dies at the Battle of Hastings and William of Normandy is crowned King of England. During the following decades, Norman French becomes the language of the courts and the upper classes; English remains the language of the majority. Latin is used in churches and schools. During the next century, English, for all practical purposes, is no longer a written language. -
Period: 1100 to 1500
The Middle English period
The Middle English period saw the collapse of the inflexible Old English system and the expansion of vocabulary with many borrowings from French and Latin. -
1150
Approximate…
approximate date of the earliest surviving Middle English texts. -
1171
Henry II
Henry II declares himself supreme lord of Ireland, introducing Norman French and English into the country. Around this time, Oxford University is founded. -
1215
Great Charter
King John signs the Magna Carta ("Great Charter"), a critical document in the long historical process that led to the rule of constitutional law in the English-speaking world. -
1300
Late 13th century
English becomes the dominant language of all classes. -
1362
English the official language in England
The Statute of Defense makes English the official language in England. Parliament opens with its first speech delivered in English. -
1400
Mid to late 14th century:
The Hundred Years' War between England and France results in the loss of nearly all French possessions in England. The Black Death kills approximately one-third of England's population. Geoffrey Chaucer composes The Canterbury Tales in Middle English. English becomes the official language of the courts and replaces Latin as the medium of instruction in most schools. -
1500
1500 to the present: the modern English period
During the Modern English period, British exploration, colonization, and foreign trade accelerated the acquisition of borrowings from countless languages and fostered the development of new varieties of English ( World English ), each with its own nuances of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. . Since the mid-20th century, the expansion of American media and business around the world has led to the emergence of global English as a lingua franca. -
1500
Late 15th century
William Caxton brings the first printing press to Westminster (from the Rhineland) and publishes Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales . Literacy rates increase significantly and printers begin to standardize English spelling. -
1553
1553
Thomas Wilson publishes The Art of Rhetorique , one of the first works on logic and rhetoric in English. -
The first grammar of English,
The first grammar of English, William Bullokar's Pamphlet of Grammar, is published. -
Isabel I
Elizabeth I begins her 45-year reign as Queen of England. The British defeat the Spanish Armada, increasing national pride and enhancing the legend of Queen Elizabeth. -
Period: to
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare writes his Sonnets and most of his plays. -
Early 16th century:
The first English settlements are made in North America. William Tyndale's English translation of the Bible is published. Many Greek and Latin borrowings enter English. -
Table Alphabeticall
Robert Cawdrey's Table Alphabeticall, the first English dictionary, is published. -
Bible
The authorized English version of the Bible (the "King James" Bible) is published, which greatly influences the development of written language. -
Newspaper
Weekly News , the first English newspaper, is published in London. -
Shakespear
The first folio edition of Shakespeare's plays is published. -
English as a language of science.
The Royal Society of London appoints a committee to consider ways to "improve" English as a language of science. -
1721
Nathaniel Bailey publishes his Universal Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, a pioneering study in English lexicography: the first to present current usage, etymology, syllabication, explanatory quotations, illustrations and pronunciation indications. -
Period: to
This period…
This period marks the rise of English grammarians (Joseph Priestly, Robert Lowth, James Buchanan, John Ash, Thomas Sheridan, George Campbell, William Ward and Lindley Murray), whose rulebooks, based mainly on prescriptive notions of grammar, become increasingly popular. -
Grammar
Robert Lowth publishes his Brief Introduction to English Grammar.