How did the English language become so popular?
How did it become so important and widespread? The answer lies not just in the history of the language, but politics, culture and technology! Here are 5 Reasons Why English Has Become Today’s Global Language: 1) The British Empire. The first, and most obvious reason that English became widespread in the first place is because of the British ...
How did someone create the English language?
The English language is a result of the invasions of the island of Britain over many hundreds of years. The invaders lived along the northern coast of Europe. The first invasions were by a people ...
What language did the English language come from?
English is an Indo-European language and belongs to the West Germanic group of the Germanic languages. Old English originated from a Germanic tribal and linguistic continuum along the Frisian North Sea coast, whose languages gradually evolved into the Anglic languages in the British Isles, and into the Frisian languages and Low German/Low Saxon on the continent.
What is the origin of the English language?
English is a West Germanic language that originated from the Anglo-Frisian dialects and was brought to Britain by Germanic invaders (8th and 9th centuries AD). One second invasion took place by the Normans of the 11th century, who spoke Old Norman and developed an English form of this.
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How did English language was created?
English is a West Germanic language that originated from Ingvaeonic languages brought to Britain in the mid 5th to 7th centuries AD by Anglo-Saxon migrants from what is now northwest Germany, southern Denmark and the Netherlands.
Who first created English?
The 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 Sea from what today is Denmark and northern Germany.
Which is first language in world?
Dating back to at least 3500 BC, the oldest proof of written Sumerian was found in today's Iraq, on an artifact known as the Kish Tablet. Thus, given this evidence, Sumerian can also be considered the first language in the world.
Who is father of English?
Who is known as the father of the English language? Geoffrey Chaucer. He was born in London sometime between 1340 and 1344. He was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat (courtier), and diplomat.
When was English first spoken?
5th century3) The Anglo-Saxon migration Old English was first spoken in the 5th century, and it looks incomprehensible to today's English-speakers. To give you an idea of just how different it was, the language the Angles brought with them had three genders (masculine, feminine, and neutral).
What was the first English word?
According to a 2009 study by researchers at Reading University, the oldest words in the English language include “I“, “we“, “who“, “two” and “three“, all of which date back tens of thousands of years.
Did English originate German?
British and American culture. English has its roots in the Germanic languages, from which German and Dutch also developed, as well as having many influences from romance languages such as French. (Romance languages are so called because they are derived from Latin which was the language spoken in ancient Rome.)
Where did English language start?
English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the island of Great Britain.
What is the English language?
The English language is an Indo-European language in the West Germanic language group. Modern English is widely considered to be the lingua franca...
How many people speak English?
As of 2020 there are 1.27 billion English speakers around the world. This makes it the most spoken language, ahead of Mandarin Chinese (1.12 billio...
Is African American Vernacular English a dialect of English?
There has been much public and academic debate on whether African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is a dialect of English or its own separate la...
Where did English come from?
Having emerged from the dialects and vocabulary of Germanic peoples—Angles, Saxons, and Jutes—who settled in Britain in the 5th century CE, English...
Is English the official language of the United States of America?
English is not the official language of the United States of America. The country does not have an official language on the federal level. Many sta...
What is the early English?
Early Old English (7th to 10th Century) – this period contains some of the earliest documented evidence of the English language, showcasing notable authors and poets like Cynewulf and Aldhelm who were leading figures in the world of Anglo-Saxon literature.
What is the meaning of syntax in English?
Syntax is “ the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language, ” and we find that while the British government and its wealthy citizens Anglicised ...
How much of the English language is no longer used?
Albert Baugh, a notable English professor at the University of Pennsylvania notes amongst his published works [1] that around 85% of Old English is no longer in use; however, surviving elements form the basis of the Modern English language today.
What is the last phase of the English language?
Late Old English (10th to 11th Century) – can be considered the final phase of the Old English language which was brought about by the Norman invasion of England. This period ended with the consequential evolution of the English language towards Early Middle English.
How many people are in the world speaking English?
Regardless of the many languages one is fortunate to be fluent in, English takes its place as one of the world’s predominant forms of communication with its influences extending over as much as +2 billion people globally.
Why was Shakespeare's influence important during those times?
Why was Shakespeare’s influence important during those times? Shakespeare started writing during a time when the English language was undergoing serious changes due to contact with other nations through war, colonisation, and the likes. These changes were further cemented through Shakespeare and other emerging playwrights who found their ideas could not be expressed through the English language currently in circulation. Thus, the “adoption” of words or phrases from other languages were modified and added to the English language, creating a richer experience for all concerned.
When did the English language start?
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the English language itself really took off with the invasion of Britain during the 5th century. Three Germanic tribes, the Jutes , Saxons and Angles were seeking new lands to conquer, and crossed over from the North Sea. It must be noted that the English language we know and study through various English language courses today had yet to be created as the inhabitants of Britain spoke various dialect of the Celtic language.
What is openness in vocabulary?
Openness of vocabulary implies both free admission of words from other languages and the ready creation of compounds and derivatives. English adopts (without change) or adapts (with slight change) any word really needed to name some new object or to denote some new process. Words from more than 350 languages have entered English in this way. Like French, Spanish, and Russian, English frequently forms scientific terms from Classical Greek word elements. Although a Germanic language in its sounds and grammar, the bulk of English vocabulary is in fact Romance or Classical in origin.
What are the characteristics of English?
In addition to the simplicity of inflections, English has two other basic characteristics: flexibility of function and openness of vocabulary.
How many people speak English in 2020?
As of 2020 there are 1.27 billion English speakers around the world. This makes it the most spoken language, ahead of Mandarin Chinese (1.12 billion speakers) and Hindi (637 million speakers). More than 50 countries officially list English as an official language.
What are the three groups of Germanic?
Germanic, one of the language groups descended from this ancestral speech, is usually divided by scholars into three regional groups: East (Burgundian, Vandal, and Gothic, all extinct), North ( Icelandic, Faroese, Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish ), and West ( German, Dutch [and Flemish], Frisian, and English). ...
Where is English spoken?
English belongs to the Indo-European family of languages and is therefore related to most other languages spoken in Europe and western Asia from Iceland to India. The parent tongue, called Proto-Indo-European, was spoken about 5,000 years ago by nomads believed to have roamed the southeast European plains. Germanic, one of the language groups ...
Where did the English language originate?
English originated in England and is the dominant language of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and various island nations in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. It is also an official language of India, the Philippines, Singapore, and many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa.
Which language is more conservative, German or Frisian?
Though closely related to English, German remains far more conservative than English in its retention of a fairly elaborate system of inflections. Frisian, spoken by the inhabitants of the Dutch province of Friesland and the islands off the west coast of Schleswig, is the language most nearly related to Modern English.
What words have survived in the original form?
Some of the words in the original have survived in altered form, including axode (asked), hu (how), rihtlice (rightly), engla (angels), habbað (have), swilcum (such), heofonum (heaven), and beon (be). Others, however, have vanished from our lexicon, mostly without a trace, including several that were quite common words in Old English: eft "again," ...
What words did Aelfric use in his writing?
We may notice a few words and phrases that have meanings no longer common such as byttere "salty," o this half "on this side of the world," and at the poynt "to hand," and the effect of the centuries-long dominance of French on the vocabulary is evident in many familiar words which could not have occurred in Aelfric's writing even if his subject had allowed them, words like contree, ryueres, plentee, egle, and lyoun.
What are some words that are identical in spelling?
A few of these words will be recognized as identical in spelling with their modern equivalents— he, of, him, for, and, on —and the resemblance of a few others to familiar words may be guessed— nama to name, comon to come, wære to were, wæs to was —but only those who have made a special study of Old English will be able to read the passage with understanding. The sense of it is as follows:
What languages did Philologists speak?
Philologists know that they must have spoken a dialect of a language that can be called West Germanic and that other dialects of this unknown language must have included the ancestors of such languages as German, Dutch, Low German, and Frisian.
What is the historical aspect of English?
The historical aspect of English really encompasses more than the three stages of development just under consideration. English has what might be called a prehistory as well. As we have seen, our language did not simply spring into existence; it was brought from the Continent by Germanic tribes who had no form of writing and hence left no records. Philologists know that they must have spoken a dialect of a language that can be called West Germanic and that other dialects of this unknown language must have included the ancestors of such languages as German, Dutch, Low German, and Frisian. They know this because of certain systematic similarities which these languages share with each other but do not share with, say, Danish. However, they have had somehow to reconstruct what that language was like in its lexicon, phonology, grammar, and semantics as best they can through sophisticated techniques of comparison developed chiefly during the last century.
What were the early developments in the English language?
Other important early developments include the stabilizing effect on spelling of the printing press and the beginning of the direct influence of Latin and , to a lesser extent, Greek on the lexicon. Later, as English came into contact with other cultures around the world and distinctive dialects of English developed in the many areas which Britain had colonized, numerous other languages made small but interesting contributions to our word-stock.
What is Mandeville's travels?
The following brief passage is drawn from a work of the late fourteenth century called Mandeville's Travels. It is fiction in the guise of travel literature, and, though it purports to be from the pen of an English knight, it was originally written in French and later translated into Latin and English.
What is the name of the monk who wrote the Ecclesiastical History of the English People?
Latin speakers begin referring to the country as Anglia and later as Englaland. 673 —Birth of the Venerable Bede , the monk who composed (in Latin) The Ecclesiastical History of the English People (c. 731), a key source of information about Anglo Saxon settlement.
What was the Middle English period?
The Middle English period saw the breakdown of the inflectional system of Old English and the expansion of vocabulary with many borrowings from French and Latin.
What is the approximate date of the earliest manuscript records of Old English?
700 —Approximate date of the earliest manuscript records of Old English.
How long did English remain the official language of New Zealand?
The constitution provides that English remain the official language for 15 years. New Zealand gains its independence from the U.K. and joins the Commonwealth. 1949 —Hans Kurath publishes A Word Geography of the Eastern United States, a landmark in the scientific study of American regionalisms.
How did Danish influence English?
Late 9th century —King Alfred of Wessex (Alfred the Great) leads the Anglo-Saxons to victory over the Vikings, translates Latin works into English and establishes the writing of prose in English. He uses the English language to foster a sense of national identity.
What was the period of the English language?
500-1100: The Old English (or Anglo-Saxon) Period. The conquest of the Celtic population in Britain by speakers of West Germanic dialects (primarily Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) eventually determined many of the essential characteristics of the English language.
When did Henry II establish the University of Oxford?
1171 —Henry II declares himself overlord of Ireland, introducing Norman French and English to the country. About this time the University of Oxford is founded.
What is the name of the group of people who lived in Wales?
After a while, most of the Celts were killed, or made slaves. Some escaped to live in the area that became Wales. Through the years, the Saxons, Angles and Jutes mixed their different languages. The result is what is called Anglo-Saxon or Old English.
What language did the Normans speak?
The Normans were a French-speaking people from Normandy in the north of France. They became the new rulers of Britain. These new rulers spoke only French for several hundred years. It was the most important language in the world at that time. It was the language of educated people. But the common people of Britain still spoke Old English.
What are some words that come from Norman French?
Old English took many words from the Norman French. Some of these include “damage,” “prison,” and “marriage.” Most English words that describe law and government come from Norman French. Words such as “jury,” “parliament,” and “justice.”
What languages did Latin disappear?
Latin disappeared as a spoken language. Yet it left behind three great languages that became modern Spanish, French and Italian . Ancient German became Dutch, Danish, German, Norwegian, Swedish and one of the languages that developed into English.
How long is the Bayeux Tapestry?
Detail from the Bayeux Tapestry in France. The cloth, over 68 meters long, tells about the Norman conquest of England, the event marking the beginning of French influence on the English language
What language do airplane pilots speak?
It has become the international language of science and medicine. International treaties say passenger airplane pilots must speak English. English is the major foreign language taught in most schools in South America and Europe. School children in the Philippines and Japan begin learning English at an early age.
When did the Vikings invade Britain?
The next great invasion of Britain came from the far north beginning about one thousand one hundred years ago. Fierce people called Vikings raided the coast areas of Britain.
Why did the Anglo-Saxon language evolve?
Over the centuries Anglo Saxon or Old English evolved separately from its source West Germanic languages due to relative isolation until mutually intelligibility with the language of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes weakened. However, the Germanic base of the language remained intact.
What language group is English?
English belongs to the West Germanic language group of which Frisian, Dutch, Flemish and German are members. That is the first clue.
What is the history of English?
What we can do is trace the history of English to see where it came from. Languages form families just like people do. English is part of the Germanic language family. It’s modern-day relatives include German and Dutch. All of the Germanic languages share a common ancestor called proto-Germanic spoken around 750BC. There are no records of this language, but linguists can reconstruct it by tracing similarities in its living relatives.
What is the name of the ship that discovered grapes?
The best bet is someone on one of the documented or undocumented Viking voyages to North America, which the Viking’s called Vinland. The Vinland Saga describes the discovery of grapes by a German. Ships are famous for taking in people from all over. England figured prominently in the Viking world. English and Norse were close enough to be mutually comprehensible 1,000 years ago. There were probably quite a number of voyages to North America, and certainly a few. Add it all up, and the chances of a single crew member of a Viking ship that landed in North America being an English speaker are ver
What are the four subsystems of language?
To be systematic in the identification of external influences on a language , we could first divide language into four major subsystems: phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon and see how a language has been influenced in all of these domains.
Why do people in California have different accents?
You know how people speaking in California, in Boston and in London have different accents and expressions? This is because languages are constantly evolving and adapting. You can even see it from one generation to the other. You probably don't speak exactly the same way as your parents and I'm sure you don't use the same expressions. Over many generations, these small changes accumulate until the new version is almost completely different from the language spoken a few generations before.
When was the first English spoken?
So, when you rewind as far as you can go, the oldest known ancestor of English was spoken arond 4500BC. This does not mean that English was spoken in 4500BC ! It means that English’s great-great-great-great grandfather was around then, and that his children, and his children’s children, eventually evolved into what we speak today - along with hundreds of other distantly related languages.
