History of the English Language

By StevieB
  • Period: 400 to Jan 1, 1100

    Old English

  • 450

    Earliest Old English Inscriptions

  • Jan 1, 731

    The Venerable Bede writes "The Ecclesiastical History of the English People"

  • Jan 1, 1000

    Beowulf's Writing is published in a manuscript

  • Jan 1, 1066

    The Norman invasion led by Duke William II of Normady

  • Jan 1, 1086

    "Domesday Book" Compiled

  • Jan 1, 1100

    WORDS AND PHRASES

    Bedight- Decorate
    Besmirch- To smear as to make dirty or stained
    Bight - Bend or Curve
    Tithe - A levy of one tenth of something
    Banshee - A female spirit who wails to warn of impending death
  • Period: Jan 1, 1150 to Jan 1, 1470

    Middle English

  • Jan 1, 1167

    Oxford University established

  • Jan 1, 1387

    Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

    Collection of stories of a group of 30 people who travel as pilgrims to Canterbury England
  • Jan 1, 1440

    Invention of the Printing Press by German Johannes Gutenberg

  • Jan 1, 1450

    The Great Vowel Shift Begins

  • Jan 1, 1470

    WORDS AND PHRASES MIDDLE ENGLISH

    Fay, fey - Faith
    Gan, gonne - Began
    Han - Have
    Unnethe - Scarcely
    Whylom - Once upon a time
  • Period: Jan 1, 1471 to

    Modern English

  • Jan 1, 1492

    The Discovery of North America

  • Jan 1, 1539

    "The Great Bible" is published

  • Robert Cawdrey Published the First English dictionary "A Table Alphabeticall"

  • The Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio Collection

  • The American Revolution

    Ending September 3rd, 1783
  • First Edition of the "Oxford English Dictionary"

  • WORDS AND PHRASES MODERN ENGLISH

    Bae - A person who you believe comes "Before Anyone Else"
    Earworm - A song or tune stuck in your head
    Glamping - Glamour Camping
    Binge Watch - Watching multiple episodes of a TV Show