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A Very Brief History of the English Language

A Very Brief History of the English Language. The English Continuum…. Old English Middle English Early Modern  Late Modern 450 1150 1500 1800 Beowulf Canterbury Tales Macbeth Heart of Darkness. The Celts 3000 BC .

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A Very Brief History of the English Language

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  1. A Very Brief History of the English Language

  2. The English Continuum… Old English Middle English Early Modern  Late Modern 450 1150 1500 1800 Beowulf Canterbury Tales Macbeth Heart of Darkness

  3. The Celts3000 BC • Various tribes with common language, religion, and customs • Lacked writing system, but found ways to express themselves…

  4. 55 B.C. Roman Invasion • Influence? • Language: Greek and Roman (1st Latin influence) • Religion: Christianity • Roman withdrawal in 410 AD left them vulnerable to attack

  5. The Germanic Invasion • 410-1066 • Angles (Denmark), Saxons (N. Germany), and Jutes (?) • Centuries of ethnic cleansing/ intermarrying • Germanic language-Beginning of Old English • Latin influence (2nd): Anglo Saxons convert to Christianity

  6. Map of Anglo-Saxon England

  7. The Norman Invasion • 1066 • William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy) • Institutes feudalism • Anglo-Norman (Dialect of Old French) • Polite society speaks French for 300 years! • (3rd Latin Influence)

  8. English as the Native Tongue: • 1204 AD: King John loses Normandy to France • England  chief concern for nobility • Adopted modified English as native tongue

  9. The Black Death • 1349-50: One third of population died • Laboring and Merchant economic and social importance • Rise of English! (compared to Anglo-Norman)

  10. Middle English • Combination of Old English and French Incorporate Middle English into YOUR vocabulary! • Anon: right away • No force: [I] don't care • Gramercy: many thanks

  11. The Statute of Pleading • 1362 • English language of courts and parliament • Nobility = Commoners (linguistically)

  12. The Renaissance and Early Modern English • 1500-1800 • Middle English  Modern English: • Revival of classical study (4th Latin influence) • The Great Vowel Shift (1400) • crime: criminalplease: pleasantgrateful: gratitudeabound: abundantgoose: gosling • Printing Press (1476 in England)

  13. Late-Modern English • 1800-Present • Expanded vocabulary: • Industrial and Scientific Revolution • EX: Oxygen, protein, nuclear, vaccine (Classical) • British Empire • EX: Shampoo, pajamas, juggernaut (Hindi and other Indian languages) • Military Influence • EX: Blockbuster, camouflage, radar, nosedive • Technological Revolution

  14. American English • Colonization 1600 • Pronunciations and usages “froze” • EX: Autumn  Fall • EX: Rubbish  Trash • Native American influence • EX: Mississippi, raccoon, barbecue, and tomato  Native American • Spanish Influence • EX: Mustang, canyon, ranch, stampede

  15. Old English (c. 1000) : Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum  si þin nama gehalgod tobecume þin rice gewurþe þin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us to dæg and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge ac alys us of yfele soþlice. Middle English (Wyclif, 1384): Oure fadir þat art in heuenes halwid be þi name;  þi reume or kyngdom come to be. Be þi wille don in herþe as it is doun in heuene. yeue to us today oure eche dayes bred. And foryeue to us oure dettis þat is oure synnys as we foryeuen to oure dettouris þat is to men þat han synned in us. And lede us not into temptacion but delyuere us from euyl. Early Modern English (King James Version, 1611) : Our father which art in heauen, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen. Giue us this day our daily bread. And forgiue us our debts as we forgiue our debters. And lead us not into temptation, but deliuer us from euill. Amen.

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