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How English evolved into a modern language?
- (1) Today we present the second of our two programs about the history of the English Language.
- (2) Last week, we told how the English language developed as a result of several invasions of Britain. ...
- (3) Two more invasions added words to Old English. ...
- (4) The Norman rulers added many words to English. ...
Who invented the first language?
- the Sumerian, Hattic and Elamite language isolates,
- Hurrian from the small Hurro-Urartian family,
- Afro-Asiatic in the form of the Egyptian and Semitic languages and
- Indo-European ( Anatolian languages and Mycenaean Greek ).
Who made the English language?
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.
Who invented the language called 'Hindi'?
The Bengali scholar Muhammad Shahidullah and his followers offered a competing theory, suggesting that the language began in the 7th century ce and developed from spoken and written Gauda (also, respectively, a Prakrit and an Apabhramsha).
How has the English language evolved?
The English language has never had an official standard. It has evolved through the centuries and adopted many thousands of words through overseas exploration, international trade, and the building of an empire. It has progressed from very humble beginnings as a dialect of Germanic settlers in the 5th century, to a global language in the 21st century. It is a rich language with tens of thousands more words in its vocabulary than any other language and as Maria Legg writes in her foreword to In a Manner of Speaking: “Indeed, a history of the language must necessarily be a history of its people too.”
When did the English language start?
The evolution of spoken English began from the fifth century, with waves of attack and eventual occupation by the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians. They spoke the same West Germanic tongue but with different dialects. Their intermingling created a new Germanic language; now referred to as Anglo-Saxon, or Old English.
What are some examples of American influenced phrases?
Other examples of American-influenced phrases include: no axe to grind; sitting on the fence; poker face; stake a claim – and words such as: bedrock; smooch; raincoat; skyscraper; joyride; showdown; cocktail and cookie. From candy to diapers: the purity of American English.
What language did the Normans speak?
In 1066, the Normans had an eclectic mix of languages: a Frankish influenced northern French dialect; Old Norse from their Viking roots; Flemish from the army supporting William the Conqueror ‘s wife, Matilda of Flanders; and the Brythonic based language of the mercenary Bretons. The Normans kept the basic structure of the English language, ...
What language did the Vikings use?
During the eighth, ninth and tenth centuries, the Vikings would plunder and settle, bringing with them another version of the same Germanic language, now referred to as Old Norse . The English and Viking amalgamation would become the second step in establishing a spoken English and the basis for the varying English dialects today.
Who illustrated the book "In a Manner of Speaking"?
In his book In a Manner of Speaking – The Story of Spoken English, Charlie Haylock, with the help of illustrations from cartoonist Barrie Appleby, explores the language – from the origins of Old English in northern Europe to the abbreviated language of texts used today…. 10 First World War slang words we still use today.
How much of the world did the British Empire control?
The British empire at its height encompassed one quarter of the Earth’s land mass, and ruled over hundreds of millions of different peoples throughout the world. The English language evolved alongside this empire, with words being adopted into the vocabulary.
Where did the English language originate?
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. 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 was called "Englisc" - from which the words "England" and "English" are derived.
Who was the first English king to conquer England?
Middle English (1100-1500) In 1066 William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy (part of modern France), invaded and conquered England. The new conquerors (called the Normans) brought with them a kind of French, which became the language of the Royal Court, and the ruling and business classes.
What language did the Angles speak?
The Angles came from "Englaland" [ sic] and their language was called "Englisc" - from which the words "England" and "English" are derived.
What is the difference between early modern and late modern English?
The main difference between Early Modern English and Late Modern English is vocabulary. Late Modern English has many more words, arising from two principal factors : firstly, the Industrial Revolution and technology created a need for new words ; secondly, the British Empire at its height covered one quarter of the earth's surface, and the English language adopted foreign words from many countries.
What was the name of the language that was spoken in the 14th century?
In the 14th century English became dominant in Britain again, but with many French words added. This language is called Middle English .
What are some examples of Old English roots?
Nevertheless, about half of the most commonly used words in Modern English have Old English roots. The words be, strong and water, for example, derive from Old English. Old English was spoken until around 1100. Part of Beowulf, a poem written in Old English (public domain)
Why is American English important?
Today, American English is particularly influential, due to the USA's dominance of cinema, television, popular music, trade and technology (including the Internet). But there are many other varieties of English around the world, including for example Australian English, New Zealand English, Canadian English, South African English, ...
Where did the English language originate?
The Prehistory of English. The ultimate origins of English lie in Indo-European, a family of l anguages consisting of most of the languages of Europe as well as those of Iran, the Indian subcontinent, and other parts of Asia.
Who was the king of England in the 11th century?
Mid 11th century —Edward the Confessor, King of England who was raised in Normandy, names William, Duke of Normandy, as his heir. 1066 —The Norman Invasion: King Harold is killed at the Battle of Hastings, and William of Normandy is crowned King of England.
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 document was signed in 1209?
1209 —The University of Cambridge is formed by scholars from Oxford. 1215 —King John signs the Magna Carta ("Great Charter"), a critical document in the long historical process leading to the rule of constitutional law in the English-speaking world.
What happened in the 11th century?
Early 11th century —Danes attack England, and the English king (Ethelred the Unready) escapes to Normandy. The Battle of Maldon becomes the subject of one of the few surviving poems in Old English. The Danish king (Canute) rules over England and encourages the growth of Anglo-Saxon culture and literature.
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.
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.
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 ...
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.
Is English analytic or proto-indo-European?
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Modern English is analytic (i.e., relatively uninflected), whereas Proto-Indo-European, the ancestral tongue of most of the modern European languages (e.g., German, French, Russian, Greek), was synthetic, or inflected.
Is English the official language of the United States?
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 states, however, have passed legislation that designates English as their official language.
How did English evolve?
Unlike languages that developed within the boundaries of one country (or one distinct geographical region), English, since its beginnings 1,600 or so years ago, evolved by crossing boundaries and through invasions, picking up bits and pieces of other languages along the way and changing with the spread of the language across the globe.
When did the English go global?
English goes global. From around 1600 , the English colonization of North America resulted in the creation of a distinct American variety of English. Some English pronunciations and words “froze” when they reached America. In some ways, American English is more like the English of Shakespeare than modern British English is.
What language did the Vikings use?
The Viking invasion: With the Viking invasions (Vikings were a tribe of Nordic people that ransacked their way through Northern and Northwestern Europe 1,000-1,200 years ago), Old English got mixed up with Old Norse, the language of the Viking tribes. Old Norse ended up giving English more than 2,000 new words, including “give” and “take”, “egg”, ...
How many words did the Old Norse give to English?
Old Norse ended up giving English more than 2,000 new words, including “give” and “take”, “egg”, “knife”, “husband”, “run” and “viking”. The French are coming: Although English was spoken widely on the British Isles by 1,000 AD, the Norman invasion established French as the language of royals and of power. Old English was left to the peasants, and ...
What did the Renaissance mean for learning?
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 standardization to English. Spelling and grammar became fixed, and the dialect ...
What words did the French use to make the English language more sophisticated?
By adopting and adapting French words, the English language also became more sophisticated through the inclusion of concepts and words like “liberty” and “justice”.
What is the difference between late modern and early modern English?
Last Modern English (1800 – Present): The main difference between Early Modern English and Late Modern English is vocabulary. Late Modern English has many more words, arising from two principal factors: firstly, the Industrial Revolution and technology created a need for new words; secondly, the English-speaking world was at the center of a lot ...
When did writing begin?
Writing is believed to have emerged as a form of communication by ancient Sumerians, who began producing written works around 3000 BCE. While some historians credit the Sumerians with creation of the written language which would evolve into the English alphabet, the Mesoamericans have also received credit for creating a written language.
What is the English alphabet?
The English alphabet contains characteristics of ancient Sumerian cuneiform, including grouping writing into rows and reading from from left to right, from top to bottom.
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 are the three periods of English history?
The history of English is conventionally, if perhaps too neatly, divided into three periods usually called Old English (or Anglo-Saxon), Middle English, and Modern English. The earliest period begins with the migration of certain Germanic tribes from the continent to Britain in the fifth century A.D., though no records of their language survive ...
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 was the influence of French on the lexicon?
The influence of French (and Latin, often by way of French) upon the lexicon continued throughout this period, the loss of some inflections and the reduction of others (often to a final unstressed vowel spelled -e) accelerated , and many changes took place within the phonological and grammatical systems of the language.
What Is The History of English Language?
How Many Words Did Shakespeare invent?
- The English Renaissance saw thousands of Greek- and Latin-based words enter the language. This occurred via the Italian Renaissance, and was greatly helped by English poets, authors and playwrights, especially Elizabethan-era playwright William Shakespeare who wrote many plays centred in Italy including Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar and Two Gen…
Overseas Imports and The Development of The English Language
- Elizabethan exploration, privateering and piracy was another source for English vocabulary. These came mainly from the Spanish and Portuguese, including many Caribbean and Native American words explorers from the nations had adopted, such as 'tobacco' and 'potato'. Stuart colonialism on the eastern shores of America saw a great number of words from Native Americans being ad…
What Is The American Influence on English?
- American influence on English has been profound. American literature became more popular in England, as did films with the advent of the movies and Hollywood, along with songs, music and dance and many American programmes on television. The US was also allies of Britain in two world wars and still use British-based USAF airfields. All these factors together with the age of t…
The Evolution of The English Language Continues…
- The English language has never had an official standard. It has evolved through the centuries and adopted many thousands of words through overseas exploration, international trade, and the building of an empire. It has progressed from very humble beginnings as a dialect of Germanic settlers in the 5th century, to a global language in the 21st century. It is a rich language with ten…