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Period: 449 to 1100
Old English
A language spoken by a combination of the Angles, Saxons, and the Jutes, also know as Anglo-Saxon, was a West Germanic language that split into different dialects that ended up forming the roots and basics of Old English. -
600
Latin Influence On The Language
Around 600 CE, Latin words and grammar were mixed with the language due to the arrival of Christianity and its Latin scriptures. Latin became the language spoken by the upper classes and the clergy, while the peasant class and the uneducated were the ones who spoke Old English. -
789
The Vikings Invade
When the Vikings invaded, they brought their language with them and took control of Eastern England for the next century. The Vikings spoke Old Norse, and integrated words into the English vocabulary, around 2000. Some examples like pillage, die, ransack, and even cake. -
1066
The Norman Invasion
In 1066, William The Conqueror, with his Norman(French) army, came across the English Channel and occupied England. With their armies, they also brought their language, making it the language of the elite and aristocrats, while Latin was still in place for the church and academia, and with Middle English being the language of the common people. Some examples of French-derived words include judge, jury, evidence, and justice, as well as beef, mutton, and pork. -
Period: 1100 to
Middle English
Middle English is the form of English spoken roughly from the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066 until the end of the 15th century. Middle English developed out of Old English, seeing many dramatic changes in its grammar, pronunciation and orthography. -
1362
King Edward III Holds Parliament in English
In 1362, Edward III became the first king to address Parliament in English. The Pleading in English Act 1362 made English the only language in which court proceedings could be held, though the official record remained in Latin. -
1450
The Great Vowel Shift
The Great Vowel Shift was a major series of changes in the pronunciation of the English language that took place, beginning in southern England, primarily between 1350 and the 1600s and 1700s. -
1564
William Shakespeare Is Born
During his career, Shakespeare invented around 2000 words and phrases for the English language and also showed the world what a rich and vibrant language English is and how it can describe things in such amazing detail. -
Period: to
Modern English
The form of English that can be understood by people who speak English at this time. It has gone over 1500 years of growth and vocabulary building as well as in pronunciation, grammar, and the way it is written. -
The King James Bible
The King James Bible was a new translation of the Bible into English, allowing people who couldn't read Latin the ability to read the Bible. It brought with it a glossary of phrases, metaphors, and morals that still shape the way English is spoken today. -
Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language Published
The dictionary of The English Language was a dictionary with 42,773 entries of words and phrases. For the first time, people could learn long, complicated words and articulate better. -
Oxford English Dictionary Published
In 1857, The Oxford English Dictionary was started and took almost 70 years to finish the first edition. It contained about 252,200 entries and is still in circulation today with more 600,000 words in the dictionary today. -
The Internet
The Internet brought many different words and phrases into the language as a result of the new language such as download, toolbar, and firewall. The Internet also made abbreviations for certain words and phrases like 'pls' 'btw' and 'lol', some of them coming into the real world such as 'FYI'. -
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