THE HISTORY OF

THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE

PREPARED BY:
MIKA VANESSA C. ORTEGA
III-ABEL (B)

MRS. SUSAN TIANGSON

INSTRUCTOR
 A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Periods of English:

▸ 450 – 1150 Old english

▸ 1150 – 1500 Middle english
▸ 1500 – 1700 Early modern english
▸ 1700 – 1900 Modern english
▸ 1900 – present Late modern english

LANGUAGES THAT HAVE INFLUENCED ENGLISH:

▸ 5% Greek
▸ 7.5% Latin
▸ 40% Anglo Saxon
▸ 15% Norse
▸ 30% French
▸ 2.5% other languages

OLD ENGLISH (450-1150)

▪ CELTS have been invaded by the the Romans which brought Latin words into the language.
▪ Germanic tribes then invaded England (5th century) and established the Anglo Saxon
Heptarchy (a collective name applied to the Anglo Saxon Kingdoms of south, east, and central
Great Britain) and introduced their language.
▪ Celtics words are rare in Modern English, although Celtic languages do still remain: Wels,
Irish, Gaelic, and Cornish.
▪ The conversion of the Anglo Saxons to Christianity began in the late 6th century – meaning a
large amount of the texts that have been found of this time are religious.
▪ Vikings began to invade at the end of the 8th century. Their Old Norse language resembled
that of the Anglo Saxon invaders and much of its vocabulary was absorbed.

Example of Old English text:

The following text is from the Anglo Saxon Chronicle – a text from the 19th century from
Alfred the Great who decided to compile important events:

‘Anno 449. In this year, Martianus and Valentinus succeded to kingship, and ruled seven
years. (translated)
 ‘ Anno 449. Her Martianus and Valentinus onfengon rice, and ricsodon winter. (original
text)

KEY DATES

▪ 450 – beginning of the old English period.

▪ 1000 – approximate date of the only surviving manuscript of Beowulf.
▪ 1066 – Battle of hastings (Norman) conquest which brought in French to the language (spoken
by the most powerful people, therefore was used in political documents, administration, and
literature.
▪ 1150 – Middle English period begins.

MIDDLE ENGLISH (1150 – 1500)

▪ This period followed the Norman invasions which brought a lot of French into the language.
This is because William, Duke of Nomandy, crowned himself the king of England but only
spoke French. This meant English was considered as only suitable for lower classes
▪ As a result of the Black Death, however, (1348 – 1351) there was a need for working class
laborers. These people all spoke English, which led to a rise in the language.
▪ The printing press arrived near the end of the period (1467) from William Caxton. He printed all
kinds of texts and in the following 150 years around 20,000 books were printed. This led to
improved literacy rates and lowered price of books. Printers were able to choose which
grammar and spellings to use, leading to a more standardized language.
▪ The accessibility of texts led to an increased interest in literature.
▪ The society was very religious at the time (influencing attitudes and also the texts written at the
time).
▪ There was a lack of medical knowledge, so illness was a constant threat.
▪ Exploration of the New World brought new words from across the empire, including coffee,
yoghurt, kiosk (Turkish), and bizarre, chocolate, vogue (French).

Example of Middle English text:

CHAUCER:
‘ A knight ther was, and that a worthy man, that fro the tyme that he first bigan. To riden
out, he loved chivalrie, trouthe and honour, freedom and curteisie.

‘ A knight there was, and he a worthy man, who, from the moment that he first began. To
ride about the world, loved chivalry, truth and honour, freedom and all the courtesy.
KEY DATES

▸ 1171 – Henry II declares himself overlord of Ireland, introducing Norman French and English
to the country around this time, the University of Oxford is founded.
▸ 1476 – William Caton’s printing press arrives
▸ 1500 – Henry VII cuts the link between Rome and the church of England.

KEY TEXTS
▪ Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales
- Written from 1387, using romantic language (Latin and French)
▪ Gawain and the Green Knight
▪ Written religious texts