-
Period: 400 to
History of the English Language
The history of the English language really
started with the arrival of three Germanic
tribes who invaded Britain during the 5th
century AD. These tribes, the Angles, the
Saxons and the Jutes, crossed the North Sea
from what today is Denmark and northern
Germany. -
Period: 450 to 1100
Old English
The invading Germanic tribes spoke similar
languages, which in Britain developed into
what we now call Old English. The words be,
strong and water, for example, derive from
Old English. -
700
Suspected date of Beowulf's writing
An Old English epic poem consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. -
825
Battle of Ellendun
King Egbert of Wessex defeats the Mercians, ending the Mercian Supremacy. -
991
Battle of Maldon
Danes defeat the English army. Payment of Danegold. -
1000
The discovery of North America
It began with the Vikings’ brief stint in Newfoundland circa 1000 A.D. and continued through England’s colonization of the Atlantic coast in the 17th century, which laid the foundation for the United States of America. -
1066
The Norman Invasion
William the Conqueror, the Duke of
Normandy (part of modern France), invaded
and conquered England. -
1066
Battle of Fulford
English forces were defeated by Norse invaders in northeastern England. -
Period: 1100 to 1500
Middle English
In the 14th century English became dominant in Britain
again, but with many French words added.
This language is called Middle English. Spanish also
had an influence on American English (and
subsequently British English), with words
like canyon, ranch, stampede and vigilante
being examples of Spanish words that
entered English through the settlement of the
American West. -
1138
The Battle of the Standard
an engagement in which the English defeated an invading Scottish army led by King David I. -
1387
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
A collection of 24 stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. -
1403
Battle of Shrewsbury
A battle waged between an army led by the Lancastrian King, Henry IV, and a rebel army led by Henry "Harry Hotspur" Percy from Northumberland. -
1440
The invention of the Printing Press
A device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. -
1487
Battle of Stoke
The decisive engagement in an attempt by leading Yorkists to unseat Henry VII of England in favour of the pretender Lambert Simnel. -
Period: 1500 to
Early Modern English
Towards the end of Middle English, a
sudden and distinct change in pronunciation
(the Great Vowel Shift) started, with vowels
being pronounced shorter and shorter. -
Gunpowder Plot
A plot in which Guy Fawkes and other Catholic associates conspired to blow up King James VI and I and the Parliament of England was uncovered. -
Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio
The First Folio is considered one of the most influential books ever published in the English language. -
Salem Witch Trials
More than 200 people accused; 20 of which were executed (19 by hanging, 1 being pressed to death). Many accused died in jail awaiting trial. -
Treaty of Utrecht
Signing of the Treaty of Utrecht ends the War of the Spanish Succession. -
The American Revolution
The American Patriots in the Thirteen Colonies won independence from Great Britain, becoming the United States of America. They defeated the British in the American Revolutionary War in alliance with France and others. -
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;
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.
