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Period: 450 to 650
Old English
The invading Germanic tribes spoke similar languages, which in Britain developed into what we now call Old English. Old English did not sound or look like English today. -
Period: 650 to 1100
Old English
Native English speakers now would have great difficulty understanding Old English. Nevertheless, about half of the most
commonly used words in Modern English have Old English roots. -
1000
Suspected date of Beowulf's writing
Beowulf is speculation, it is known that the only manuscript that remains is from circa 1000 AD. Although this work is venerated today, in Medieval England, it was viewed in much different light. -
1066
The Norman Invasion
Norman Conquest, the military conquest of England by William, duke of Normandy, primarily effected by his decisive victory at the Battle of Hastings. -
Period: 1100 to 1100
Old English
The words be,strong and water, for example, derive from
Old English. Old English was spoken until around 1100. -
Period: 1100 to 1300
Middle English
The Normans brought with them a kind of French, which became the language of the Royal Court, and the ruling and business classes. For a period there was a kind of linguistic class division, where the lower classes spoke English and the upper classes spoke French. -
Period: 1300 to 1500
Middle English
For a period there was a kind of linguistic class division, where the lower classes spoke English and the upper classes spoke French. In the 14th century English became dominant in Britain again, but with many French words added. -
1387
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of 24 stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. -
1440
The invention of the Printing Press
The printing press allows us to share large amounts of information quickly and in huge numbers. In fact, the printing press is so significant that it has come to be known as one of the most important inventions of our time. It drastically changed the way society evolved. -
1492
The discovery of North America
Italian sailor Christopher Columbus proposed a voyage west from Europe to find a shorter route to Asia. He eventually received the backing of Isabella I and Ferdinand II, Queen and King of newly united Spain. In 1492 Columbus reached land in the Bahamas. -
Period: 1500 to 1500
Middle English
It was the language of the great poet Chaucer, but it would still be difficult for native English speakers to understand today. -
Period: 1500 to
Early Modern English
Towards the end of Middle English, a sudden and distinct change in pronunciation started, with vowels being pronounced shorter. From the 16th century the British had contact with many peoples from around the world. Many new words and phrases entered the language. -
Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio
The First Folio is the first printed collection of Shakespeare's plays, published in 1623, seven years after his death. -
Period: to
Early Modern to Late Modern English
The main difference between Early Modern English and Late Modern English is vocabulary. -
The American Revolution
In April 1775 British soldiers, called lobster backs because of their red coats, and minutemen—the colonists' militia—exchanged gunfire at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. Described as "the shot heard round the world," it signaled the start of the American Revolution and led to the creation of a new nation. -
Period: to
Late Modern English
Late Modern English has many more words, arising from two principal factors: firstly, the Industrial Revolution and technology created a need for new words and secondly, the British Empire at its height covered one quarter of the earth's surface, and the English language adopted foreign words from many countries.
