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800 BCE
Along Came the Vikings (OE)
Vikings came with new words like drag, ransack, and die. The Vikings gave the English language around 2,000 words! -
700 BCE
Suspected Date of Beowulf's Writing (OE)
Beowulf is the oldest literary work in a living European language. This poem tells the story of a young Geatish warrior who comes to the aid of Hrothgar, the King of Danes. A monster called Grendel is attacking his kingdom and Beowulf slays him using his epic strength and bravery. Beowulf later becomes king of the Geats and rules for 50 years, until he is slayed by a dragon. The suspected date of Beowulf's story was written somewhere around the 700 AD period, and the author is unknown. -
597 BCE
Christians Introduce Latin (OE)
Christian missionaries arrived bringing with them Latin as well as religion. Christianity became very popular with the locals and they began to enjoy taking on new words from the Latin language such as martyr, bishop and font. -
Period: 400 BCE to 450 BCE
The Beginning of Old English (OE)
Barbaric tribes from Germany and current day Denmark, known as the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes, sailed over the North Sea and settled in Britain. The Romans did not leave behind their language, instead settlers learned the Anglo-Saxon language which was not as complicated to understand. They even came up with the names of the weeks, naming them after Anglo-Saxon "Gods". -
1066
The Norman Conquest (OE)
Duke William II, also known as William the Conqueror, invades England bringing new concepts from across the channel such as the French language and the Doomsday book. French brought along official words such as judge, jury, evidence and justice. The English gained about 10,000 words from the Normans -
1066
Higher vs Lower Class (OE)
The lower class mostly spoke English, while the higher class mostly spoke French. English farmers fabricated words such as cow, sheep and swine. When speaking of consuming these products, French constructed the words beef, mutton, and pork. -
1209
University of Cambridge is Formed (ME)
Scholars from Oxford formed the University of Cambridge in order to become educated on their regular courses of study. The Oxford scholars had migrated to Cambridge to escape the hostile townsmen. -
Period: 1337 to 1453
Hundred Years' War (ME)
The war between France and England was caused by Edward III, king of England, claimed he was superior to the throne because his mother was Philip the Fair's daughter. This initially began the Hundred Years War, which actually lasted 116 years. English took over as the language of power. -
Period: 1362 to 1399
English Becomes the Official Language in England (ME)
The Statue of Pleading makes English the official speaking language in England. The Parliament is opened with its first speech presented in English. In 1399 King Henry IV becomes the very first English monarch to deliver a speech in English. -
Period: 1387 to 1400
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (ME)
Geoffrey Chaucer wrote "The Canterbury Tales" between 1387 and 1400. This is a story of a group of 30 people who travel as Pilgrims to Canterbury, England. The reason this tale is so important is because Chaucer decided to write it in English instead of French. The Canterbury Tales was one of the first English literature works. -
1440
The Invention of the Printing Press (ME)
In 1440, Johannes Gutenberg creating the printing press. A printing press is a machine used for printing text, this machine had a very large impact on its time period. There was an increase in literacy, as well as an increase in understanding and communication. This machine also made proposals as well as news spread rapidly. Information was shared between large amounts of people, including hierarchies faster and easier than ever before! -
1492
The Discovery of North America (ME)
It has been said for years that Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492. Columbus was an Italian explorer, colonizer, and navigator. Columbus had three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria which he led across the ocean. He made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean determined to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia. While he did not discover a water route, he did discover the Americas. -
Period: 1564 to
Shakespeare (EM)
Over 2,000 words and phrases were created by William Shakespeare. He gave us new words like eyeball, anchovy, and alligator. Shakespeare's poetry showed the world that English was a vibrant language with emotional power. -
The King James Bible (EM)
A team of scribes "went the extra mile" to make King Jame's translation of the Bible sure to please everyone. King Jame's Bible was published in English and had preachers reading it in every church. The words and phrases traveled all across Britain and taught us many metaphors such as "a leopard can't change its spots", "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush", and that "a wolf in sheep's clothing is harder to spot than you would imagine". -
Shakespeare's First Folio (EM)
Shakespeare published his collection of plays known as his "First Folio", this became considered one of the most influential books published in the English language. This book contained 36 plays and was published in 1623, 10 years after his death. -
Science in America (EM)
Before the 17th century scientists weren't very recognized. Then suddenly Britain was full of physicists. These scientists figured that they could find an understanding of the universe quicker by creating their own language. Scientists gave us words such as acid, gravity, electricity, and pendulum. They then became aware of the human body, creating words like cardiac, tonsil, ovary, and sternum. -
Period: to
The American Revolution (EM)
The American Revolution, also known as the American Revolutionary War began due to developing tensions between residents of Great Britain's 13 North American colonies and the colonial government. The colonists declared independence and went to war with the British. The British ended up losing the war due to their need to conserve their resources. -
Period: to
American English (MoE)
After the Dutch, Germans, and Italians arrived sharing their culture with Americans, many more words were brought into the English language such as pizza, pretzel, and mafia. -
The Internet Arrives (MoE)
The first e-mail was sent in 1972, shortly after the internet was created. The internet was a free space to share information, ideas, etc. The internet brought typing back into fashion, and gave the English language words such as download, toolbar, and firewall. Words and phrases online began to shorten, "by the way" became "BTW". Some people even shortened their words when speaking, not only while online. -
Global Messaging (MoE)
363 billion messages were sent in USA. 429 billion messages in China and 2.3 trillion world wide. -
Shortened Unusual Grammar is Taking Over (MoE)
The Oxford dictionary has been updated due to all of the new, shortened words that the English speaking population has been coming up with. The English language has changed drastically even from only five years ago. Advances in technology and social networking has influenced the use of these new words. Words such as blog, apps, and social media are derived from this new grammar. There is also a new text slang, here are some examples:
BFF- Best Friends Forever
LOL- Laugh Out Loud
