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The History of English

The History of English. How English has Changed Over the Past 1500 Years. Outline. The Pre-English Period The Old English Period The Middle English Period The Early Modern English Period The Modern English Period. The Pre-English Period. In the Beginning….

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The History of English

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  1. The History of English How English has Changed Over the Past 1500 Years

  2. Outline • The Pre-English Period • The Old English Period • The Middle English Period • The Early Modern English Period • The Modern English Period

  3. The Pre-English Period

  4. In the Beginning… • The birth of civilization and language was Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq and Iran) • Proto-World—first language ever spoken • Traced back 50,000 years • Known as the “Mother Tongue” • Mother of all dead and modern languages • Proto-Indo-European is a daughter language; ancestor of European based languages

  5. Centum vs. Satem • All Proto-Indo-European languages can be divided into two major groups: • Centum—the Western European languages • Satem—the Eastern European and Asian languages • Difference between groups comes in pronunciation of the word meaning “one hundred”

  6. Satem • Satem families include: • Slavic (Russian, Polish, Serbian, etc.) • Indo-Iranian (Hindi, Persian, Kurdish, etc.) • Albanian (Gheg and Tosk) • Baltic (Lithuanian and Latvian) • Armenian

  7. Centum • Centum families include: • Italic (Latin, Spanish, French, Italian, etc.) • Celtic (Irish, Scottish, Welsh, etc.) • Hellenic (Greek) • Germanic (Dutch, German, Yiddish, English, etc.)

  8. Direct Descendants of English

  9. The Old English Period

  10. Old English Period • England inhabited by Celtic Tribes • Barbarians • Violent and crude people • Diseased • Romans conquer in 55 AD • Technology (aqueduct) • Roads • Weaponry and Defense • Latin Language

  11. Old English Period • Roman Empire begins to crumble • British Provinces are cut loose around 409 AD • Leave little behind… just a little Latin • Pict, Scot, and Briton tribes want land • Britons call on aid of 3 German tribes • Angles • Saxons • Jutes

  12. German tribes invade; mesh to form Old English • Other barbarian tribes retreat to Northern and Western Britain

  13. Old English Period • 597—Pagan Celts converted to Christianity • Brings Latin words back into the mix • 787—Scandinavian Invasion; begin attempt to conquer all of England in 865; English fight back (Alfred the Great) • 871—Treaty of Wedmore • Establishes the Danelaw—Scandinavian England; land north and east of line under Viking Rule

  14. The Four Dialects of Old English • Northumbrian • Mercian • East Anglican • West Saxon

  15. Old English Period • 1000—the epic Beowulf is written • 1042—Scandinavians blend in with English (absorption) • 1066—Norman Conquest

  16. Characteristics of Old English • Vowels were pronounced longer • The letters j, q, and v were never used in writing even though the sounds were • Primarily of German and Latin influence • Grammatical Gender • Writing was mostly religious

  17. The Old English Language Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum, Si þin nama gehalgod. To becume þin rice gewurþe ðin willa, on eorðan swa on heofonum urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg, and forgyf us ure gyltas, swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum. and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge, ac alys us of yfele. soþlice.

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