History of the English Language

By Addie
  • Period: 400 to

    Evolution of the English Language

  • Period: 400 to 1066

    Old English

    Welcumen- Welcome!
    Hwanan cymst þū? / Hwiðer eart þū fram?- Where are you from?
  • 600

    Rise of the Saxons

    Introduced new religious words from both Latin and Greek
  • 800

    Danes and Scandinavians join Ireland and Britain

    They bring their own languages and become incorporated into society
  • 900

    Danes invade England

    Establish a kingdom at York and begin influencing English
  • 1000

    Beowulf Written

    Composed sometime between the 8th century and the 11th century
  • 1066

    The Norman Invasion

    French becomes the language of the upper-class and English is no long written for common purposes
  • Period: 1066 to 1476

    Middle English

    Acourdance- Agreement
    Blasfeme- Blasphemous
    Costage- Expense
  • 1215

    Magna Carta

    First step in the process towards restricting governments; first use of language against government
  • 1362

    English becomes Predominant

    Statute of Pleading makes English predominant; first speech delivered in English
  • 1387

    Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

    Written in middle English; approximately 17,000 lines
  • Sep 30, 1399

    First English-Speaking KIng

    First English monarch to be predominantly English and deliver a speech in English
  • 1440

    Invention of the Printing Press

    Allowed people to print in large quantities and spread word quickly
  • Period: 1476 to

    Early Modern/ Modern English

    Early:
    Ye- You
    Art- Are
    Modern:
    Buzzkill- Person or thing with a depressing affect
    Cougar- Older woman who dates younger men
    Viral- Circulating rapidly on the internet
  • 1492

    Discovery of North America

    Columbus sailed the ocean blue and found North America which spread English to a new continent

  • KJV Bible Published

    influenced the development of the written language

  • Shakespeare's First Folio

    If this hadn't been published, over half of Shakespeare's works would have been lost

  • American Revolution

    Leads to the declaration of Independence which led to America's sole identity

  • The King's English Publication

    Henry and Francis Fowler print first edition of The King's English which spreads it to all who can read

  • Oxford English Dictionary Published

    First Dictionary Written by the Oxford English; large composition of a language