The History of the English Language
Discover the fascinating journey of the English language, which approximately 1.35 billion individuals speak across the globe. Uncover the remarkable story that led to English becoming one of the most widely spoken languages worldwide.
Inhabitants of Britain originally spoke various dialects of a Celtic language. The history of the English language began with the invasion of Britain in the fifth century by three Germanic tribes. These tribes were the Jutes, Saxons, and Angles. The native Britons were driven North and West into lands we now know as Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. The word ‘England’ and ‘English’ originated from the word “Engla-land’ which in old English is literally translated as ‘land of the Angles’, where they spoke Englisc.
The history of the English language can be divided into different phases. Old English is what was spoken between 450-1100 AD. The invading Germanic tribes spoke similar languages which developed into what we now call Old English. This language differs greatly from the English language that we know today. These languages differ to such a degree that native English speakers would struggle to understand much of Old English. However, about half of all Modern English words are derived from their Old English roots.
Middle English was spoken between 1100-1500 AD. In 1066, William the Conqueror invaded and conquered England. He was the Duke of Normandy, which was a region of modern France. These Norman conquerors brought with them a kind of French which they instilled as the main language of the Royal Courts, and the ruling and business classes. This brought about a language class divide where the upper classes spoke French and the lower classes spoke English. Into the fourteenth century English became the dominant language again, albeit with many French words added. This mix of languages is what is now known as Middle English. Again, this language would be difficult for modern native English speakers to understand.
Modern English is divided into two phases. The first is Early Modern English which was spoken between 1500-1800. Towards the end of the Middle English period there was a rapid change in pronunciation which is known as the Great Vowel Shift. This refers to vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter, which was as a result of the British being exposed to more peoples from around the world. Between this, and the Renaissance of Classical learning, many new words and phrases entered the English language. Printing was also invented during this time which brought standardisation to the English language. Spelling and grammar became fixed at this point and the London dialect became the standard as this is where most of the printing houses were located. The first English dictionary was published in 1604.
Late Modern English covers the period from 1800 to present. The main difference between Early Modern and Late Modern English is the extension of the vocabulary. The industrial revolution and the technology that was developed created a need for new words. The expansion of the British Empire, which covered around a quarter of the Earth’s surface, meant that the English language adopted foreign words from many countries to give us the language that native English speakers know today.
