History of the English Language.doc
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1、History of the English LanguageA short history of the origins and development of EnglishThe history of the English language really started with the arrival of three Germanic tribes who invaded Britain during the 5th century AD. These tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes, crossed the North Se
2、a from what today is Denmark and northern Germany. At that time the inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language. But most of the Celtic speakers were pushed west and north by the invaders - mainly into what is now Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The Angles came from Englaland sic and their language
3、was called Englisc - from which the words England and English are derived.Germanic invaders entered Britain on the east and south coasts in the 5th century.Old English (450-1100 AD)-Part of Beowulf, a poem written in Old English.The invading Germanic tribes spoke similar languages, which in Britain
4、developed into what we now call Old English. Old English did not sound or look like English today. Native English speakers now would have great difficulty understanding Old English. Nevertheless, about half of the most commonly used words in Modern English have Old English roots. The words be,strong
5、 and water, for example, derive from Old English. Old English was spoken until around 1100.Middle English (1100-1500)-An example of Middle English by Chaucer.In 1066 William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy (part of modern France), invaded and conquered England. The new conquerors (called the Nor
6、mans) brought with them a kind of French, which became the language of the Royal Court, and the ruling and business classes. For a period there was a kind of linguistic class division, where the lower classes spoke English and the upper classes spoke French. In the 14th century English became domina
7、nt in Britain again, but with many French words added. This language is called Middle English. It was the language of the great poet Chaucer (c1340-1400), but it would still be difficult for native English speakers to understand today.Modern EnglishEarly Modern English (1500-1800)Towards the end of
8、Middle English, a sudden and distinct change in pronunciation (the Great Vowel Shift) started, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the 16th century the British had contact with many peoples from around the world.-Hamlets famous To be, or not to be lines, written in Early Modern En
9、glish by Shakespeare.This, and the Renaissance of Classical learning, meant that many new words and phrases entered the language. The invention of printing also meant that there was now a common language in print. Books became cheaper and more people learned to read. Printing also brought standardiz
10、ation to English. Spelling and grammar became fixed, and the dialect of London, where most publishing houses were, became the standard. In 1604 the first English dictionary was published.Late Modern English (1800-Present)The main difference between Early Modern English and Late Modern English is voc
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