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400
The Beginning of the English Language
The start of the English language began roughly in the year 400 when the Anglo-Saxon tribes invaded what is now known as England. Their language is what is known as Old English. -
Period: 700 to 800
The Writing of Beowulf
The writing of Beowulf was set in the 500's, but it was actual written in the time span of the years 700 and 800 spanning over 100 years. -
980
The Danes Invade England
The Danes invaded England in 980 and the war dragged into 1016. The reason for the Danes invading was simply for wealth in the beginning. -
1066
The Norman Invasion
William the Duke of Normandy invaded England in 1066. The decisive victory at the Battle of Hastings led to England becoming more closely linked to Continental Europe and made Scandinavian influence less important. The Norman invasion led to Anglo-Norman royalty speaking English. The lower class spoke more French than English. This led to English being heavily influenced by French. -
1085
The Danes Stand Down
The Danes or better known as Vikings surrendered to English rule and left England returning to Scandinavia. -
1100
Old English Vocabulary
Water - wæter
My - mīn
Good morning - gōdne morgen -
Period: 1337 to 1453
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a war between the French and English Kingdoms. It lasted 116 years and was interrupted by several truces and treaties. The war ended in French victory. In England the French language was considered the language of the enemy and thus led to the founding of Oxford and Cambridge university. -
Period: 1346 to 1352
The Black Death
The Black Death was a devastating pandemic that struck Europe. The Black Death arrived in Europe on 12 ships from the Black Sea docked at the Sicilian port of Messina. The Black Death killed roughly 60% of Europe. -
Period: 1350 to
The Great Vowel Shift
The Great Vowel Shift was a long span of time where the pronunciation of the English language started to change. Vowels and consonants started to change and some even started to be spelt differently. The Great Vowel Shift spanned from the Middle English era all the way to the Modern English era. -
1400
The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales were written by Geoffrey Chaucer. The Canterbury Tales are a collection of 24 stories that have over 17,000 lines of Middle English combined. They were written between 1387 and 1400 -
Oct 25, 1400
The Death of Geoffrey Chaucer
Chaucer's death marked the end of Middle English and the beginning of Early Modern English. -
Oct 26, 1400
Middle English Vocabulary
Will - Willen
Should - Schulen
Need - Thurfen -
1450
The Invention of the Printing Press
Made by German inventor Johannes Gutenberg in 1450. The printing press was invented in 1440 and perfected for commercial use in 1450. The printing press made it easier for people to learn how to read and write due to the fact that books and reading material became more accessible to the populace. -
Jul 24, 1497
The Discovery of North America
North America was discovered by Giovanni Caboto and Italian explorer. Caboto was commissioned under Henry VII of England. The discovery of North America led to English settlers later colonizing the east coast. This discovery of North America and the native tribes led to the English language changing. A new kind of English started to emerge which is fairly close to what we speak today. -
Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio
The Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio, was published 7 years after his death. The Folio was a collection of 36 plays 18 of which were never published. These plays are important because they teach us about Middle English and how it was written and spoken. -
Period: to
The American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War started in 1775 and "ended" in 1776. July 4, 1776 marked when the 13 colonies severed their political ties with Great Britain. The American Revolution had a great impact on the English language. American's did everything they could to succeed from Great Britain and one of those things was slight change in language. During the American Revolutionary War, getting information out to the people was crucial and some words were simplified or changed. -
The Founding of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
BBC was found in 1922 and is the largest news broadcasting corporation. BBC was able to spread news to the entire world which spread the English language to most of the world. -
The First Edition of the Webster Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) was the main historical dictionary of the English language. The OED is a comprehensive dictionary that tracks the development of the English language.
