-
Period: 400 to 1100
Old English
The era where the English language was highly influenced by invading Germanic tribes. Language in this period would be difficult to understand if read in the present day. Goodnight = Gōd nihten -
450
Anglo-Saxon Settlement
Angles and Jutes werre mixing different types of Germanic dialects. This is where the word "English" comes from as "Englisc" comes from the Angles. Their homeland was named Engle. -
597
Arrival of St. Augustine
When St. Augustine arrived in Saxon England, more Latin words were introduced to the English language. The words were mainly regarding Christianity and church dignitaries such as "bishop", "baptism", and "presbyter". -
800
Suspected date of Beowulf's writing
"Beowulf" is the oldest known Old English poem. It's known for its length of 3,183 lines and is seen as a heroic epic poem. -
878
Viking Raids
When vikings invaded, the English language began adding words of Norse decent. This occurred mostly in Northern England. -
1066
The Norman Invasion
When William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy, invaded England in 1066, the conquerors introduced a kind of French language that became the language of the upper class. However when Britain gained control again, English became the dominant language with additions of French added to it. -
Period: 1100 to 1500
Middle English
Taken place after the invasion of England by the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror. After English began to dominate the country, French words were added in due to higher class French speakers settled in Britain. This is known as Middle English. Thank you = Gramercy -
1300
Domestication Vocabulary
Since the invasion of Normandy, the English people were usually the ones preparing food and domesticating animals. Due to this, words like "swine", "deer", and "cow" were created outside of the French language. -
1362
English Used in Parliament
After England and France were no longer involved with each other, the English language had started being spoken more often than it was written. This helped the Middle English period flourish with words such as "crown", "parliament," and "governor". -
1388
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
"Canterbury Tales" is most well known works of the Middle English period. It's a collection of stories about 30 pilgrims who travel to Canterbur, England. -
1450
Great Vowel Shift
The Middle English period was the beginning of the Great Vowel Shift. Vowels were being pronounced differently than originally and higher up in the mouth. This happened from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries. -
1476
The Invention of the Printing Press
Although Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press circa 1450, William Caxton established England's first printing press in 1476. This brought standardization to the English language. -
Period: 1500 to
Modern English
Pronunciation began to change immensely as vowels started to sound shorter. Once the Industrial Revolution started, new words were added to the English language and adopted words from foreign languages around the world. This is because of Britain's control over a quarter of the world. Modern English is the most recent era of language. -
1539
The Great Bible Published
The Great Bible was the first English edition of the Bible to be published. It was authorized by King Henry VIII of England to be read aloud in churches of England. -
The Colonization of North America
When Columbus discovered North America in 1492 and colonists began settling on the land, a variation of the English language began to be created. Pronunciations and words began sounding more modern and strayed away from traditional British English. -
Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio
Titled "Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies" is Shakespeare's first publication and is seen as one of the most influential books in the history of the English Language. -
The American Revolution
Beginning in 1765, colonists began fighting for their independence from Great Britain. When they gained the independence in 1783, American language began to change and British words began losing themselves in the up and coming language. -
First Publication of "The Times" Newspaper
"The Times" was a London based national newspaper. In 1788, the first issue was published and released to the public, giving them more chances to learn how to read and educate themselves. -
“The American Spelling Book” Published
Written by Noah Webster and known as the second largest selling book after the Bible. This book was a popular text book for young children in the nineteenth century.
