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Jan 19, 1066
Norman Invasion
Modern English has evolved from the Angles, Jutes, and Saxons, when they migrated to England 1500 years ago. The language began to evolve independently as the different groups dispersed throughout the land. English became different from then on when the Vikings from Norway invaded and conquered in 1066. -
Period: Jan 19, 1066 to
Origin and Diffusion of English Language
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Jan 19, 1204
Conflict with France
England lost control of France and as a result most people stopped speaking the French language. -
Jan 19, 1362
Statute of Pleading
Recognizing Englands current problems with France, Parliament passed the Statute of Pleading in 1362 to change the official language of court business from French to English. The German and French languages of the land began to mingle. -
Jan 19, 1476
Diffusion of Dialect
The English language dialect spoken in London and the universities was encouraged to diffuse by the introduction of the printing press to England in 1476. -
Colonists
The English language was brought to North America when the colonists settled on the Atlantic Coast. They established 17th century English as the dominant form of speech in colonial America. The early settlers of America are responsible for the language patterns that are dominant in the Western Hemisphere today. -
California Gold Rush
The west was opened up as people migrated there for gold by attracting people from all over. This mobility was a main reason for the uniform language established in the west. -
The Philippines
When Spain ceded the Philippines to the U.S. in 1899 after losing the Spanish-American war, the English language began to diffuse there which also led to diffusion in other areas from there on. -
Independence of Philippines
The Philippines gained full independence and made the English language the official language of the country.
