History of the English Language
In this unit, we will be asking ourselves…
Do words matter?
How does language shape one’s perceptions?
English Language Origins
From the native Celts to the British colonizers, the
English language has changed tremendously
throughout its evolution.
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English has the largest vocabulary, over a million words
English is a member of the Germanic family of languages,
which is a branch of the Indo-European language family.

Germanic was the language of the Elbe River region
3,000 years ago (N.W. Czech Republic and
Germany)
Indo-European Language Family
Four Language Movements
• Pre-English (2500 B.C.E—450 C.E
• Old-English (450-1066 C.E.)
• Middle-English (1066-1500 C.E.)
• Modern-English (1500 C.E.- Present)
• Early Modern-English (1500-1800 C.E.)
• Late Modern-English (1800 C.E.-Present)
The Celts (Pre-English)
Who?

The Celts were the native inhabitants of Britain and western
Europe. The word Celt is a blanket term uses to describe the
many tribes that inhabited pre-Roman Europe. They were
oppressed by Roman soldiers and considered unsophisticated
and backwards people.
When?

Their history on the British Isles dates back to 2500 B.C.E. and
were probably responsible for monuments like Stonehenge.
Borrowings from Celtic in the English language
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Although they were the native inhabitants, the Celtic influence
on the English language is limited due to their low status in
society. Celtic words include River and Place Names: Kent,
York, London, Dover, Thames, Avon, Trent, and Cornwall
Roman Occupation and Oppression
(Pre-English)
Who?

The Roman soldiers lead by Julius Ceasar raided the
British Isles and created the Roman colony of
Brittania.
When?
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55 B.C.E.—Julius Caesar leads the Roman invasion on the
British Isles
43 B.C.E—Britain is completely Romanized
410 C.E—As the Roman Empire was crumbling, the Romans
retreated the British Isles leaving the Celts defenseless against
the invading Germanic tribes.
Borrowings from Roman Soldiers
During their occupation, the Roman
soldiers contributed many Latin
words including:
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Food Words: Pepper, Dish, Butter,
Cheese
Words for Trade: Trade, Bushel,
Pound, Loan, Coin
The Anglo-Saxons (Old-English)
When the Roman Empire falls, the Germanic
people invade and inhabit Britain.
Who?

The Anglo-Saxons were split into four main
tribes: the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians.
They migrated from what is today northern
Germany and Denmark.
When?

The Anglo-Saxons occupied Britain in 449 C.E.

Old-English 450-1100 C.E.
Borrowings from Anglo-Saxon
The Anglo-Saxon influence on the English language
was tremendous.
Around 90% of common words in English come from
the Anglo-Saxons:
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Angle-Land comes from the Angles
The days of the week come from Anglo-Saxon gods: Tiw, Tuesday;
Woden, Wednesday; Thunor, Thursday and Frigga, Friday
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Family Words: Son, Daughter
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Common Verbs: Drink, Come, Go, Sing, Like, Love
Prepositions: In, On, Into, By, From
The History of English in 10 minutes chapter 1. Running Time: 1:18 Source:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9Tfbeqyu2U&feature=player_embedded
Listen to Old-English being spoken. Running time: 1:11 Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsUM1qk2y_o
Religious Conversion by the Romans
(Old-English cont...)
Who?

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St. Augustine and his 40 missionaries from Rome
worked to convert the pagan Anglo-Saxons to
Christianity.
Introduced the Roman Alphabet, replacing the AngloSaxon’s Runes.
About 400 Anglo-Saxon texts survive from this era,
including “Cædmon's Hymn,” “Anglo-Saxon Chronicle”
And the best known is the long epic poem “Beowulf”
When?
The Roman missionaries arrived in 597 C.E.
Borrowings from the Roman Missionaries
The Roman missionaries contributed
many words to Old-English such as:
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Religious Words: Altar, Organ, Monk, Alms,
Pope, Stole, Hymn, Mass, Martyr
Education Words: School, Master, Verse,
Notary, Script
The Viking and Danish Invasion
(Old-English cont...)
Who?

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The Vikings settled in East Anglia and controlled
Northern and Eastern England. They raided churches
and villages and burned religious books.
However, they were more than just ransacking
barbarians. They were also a people who loved music
and celebrated heroism through the telling of epic
poems—such as Beowulf.
When?
The Vikings and Danes arrived around 787 C.E.
How Alfred the Great Saved Old-English
The arrival of the Danes and their language, Old
Norse, threatened the English language.
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Alfred the Great saved England and the English
language when he established a peace treaty
with the Danes during what is now referred to
as the Danelaw period.
If it weren't for Alfred the Great, we might be
speaking Danish today!

Hvad så? (What's up?)
Borrowings from the Vikings and Danes
The Danes and the English often traded and intermarried which contributed
to a blending of English and Old Norse and simplified English grammar.
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Old Norse contributed words such as:
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Pronouns: They, Them, Their
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Family Names: The Danes added the suffix –son onto the
father’s name to create names such as Harrison or Richardson.
Anglo-Saxon
Norse
Craft
Skill
Wish
Want
Sick
Ill
Whole
Hale
Raise
Rear
Wrath
Anger
Hide
Skin
Old Norse often provided direct alternatives or
synonyms for Anglo-Saxon words, both of which
have been carried on
Watch an excerpt from "The Adventure of English" to find out how Alfred
the Great saved the English language.
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oProNfbWKeo
Running time: 9:56
Norman Conquest (Middle-English)
Who?
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The Normans arrived in Britain from France. Old French which
became the language of power, relegating Old-English
language to the lower classes.
Eleanor of Aquitaine introduces the idea of chivalry, courtly
love, and thus the growth of Medieval romance stories about
King Arthur and the knights of the round table.
1388 Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales in MiddleEnglish, the language of the people.
When?
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1066 C.E. King Edward of England dies without an heir, and
William the Duke of Normandy, France, claims the throne after the
Battle of Hastings.
Middle-English 1066-1500 C.E.
Borrowings from the Normans
It is estimated that around 10,000 French words
were contributed to the English language at this
time including words such as:
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Words for Law and Government: Jail, Attorney,
Court, Crime, Judge, Prison, Tax, Verdict,
Evidence
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Words for Nobility: Count, Countess, Duke,
Noble, Royal, Princess, Prince, Peasant
Culture and Fashion Words: Fur, Jewel, Clarinet, Dance,
Ruby, Satin, Pendant, Painting, Music
The History of English in 10 minutes chapter 2. Running Time: 1:18
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B8TwBrCIEY&feature=player_embedded
Early Modern-English
What?

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Great Vowel Shift: Towards the end of Middle-English, a
sudden and distinct change in pronunciation started, with
vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter.
The Renaissance was a time of new inventions,
education, travel and cultural exploration. Shakespeare
also wrote his plays at this time.
When?
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1500 C.E.--Early Modern-English begins with the
Renaissance
1800 C.E.--Ends with Colonial expansion
Shakespeare’s Influence on Language
• How large was his vocabulary?
• What words did Shakespeare invent?
The History of English in 10 minutes chapter 3. Running Time: 1:16
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMkuUADWW2A&feature=relmfu
Religious Influences on Language
What? The King James Bible
When? 1611 C.E. This version of the bible was published
under the reign of King James. Not only was it widely
distributed, but it was published using words and
vocabulary that everyone could understand.
Borrowings from King James Bible
“Powers that be” “Turned the world upside down” “Go
the extra mile”
The History of English in 10 minutes chapter 4. Running Time: 1:18
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN7-EvgKAsk&feature=relmfu
The Influence of Science on Language
What?
The Renaissance of Classical learning, meant
that many new words and phrases entered the
language as new discoveries were being made.
When? 1500’s—1600’s
Borrowings from Latin and Greek:
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Science Words: Acid, Gravity, Pendulum
Abdomen, Anatomy, Physician, Gradual,
Skeleton, Data
The History of English in 10 minutes chapter 5. Running Time: 1:19
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVDmFVx8O_A&feature=relmfuBorrowings from Latin and Greek
Late Modern-English
What? The English Empire

Colonial expansion brought new Indian American,
African, and Australian words to the English language.
Many of these words were used because there was no
existing word in English to describe what the colonizers
saw and heard in the new colonies.
When? 1800--1914
Borrowings from the Colonies
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Nature Words: Moose, Opossum, Zebra, Kangaroo,
Hickory
Music Words: Jazz, Jitterbug, Jukebox, Digeridoo
The History of English in 10 minutes chapter 6. Running Time: 1:21
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES3qDORQjAA&feature=relmfu
English Today
(1800's to Today)
What? The Industrial Revolution
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The main difference between Early Modern-English
and Late Modern-English is vocabulary.
Late Modern-English has many more words due to the
Industrial Revolution and technology created a need
for new words.
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Words Borrowed from Technology: train, engine, reservoir,
pulley, combustion, piston, hydraulic, condenser, electricity,
telephone, telegraph, lithograph, camera
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Compound word creations: railway, horsepower, typewriter,
cityscape, airplane.
American English http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbvumrknAKs&feature=relmfu
Internet English http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPltpdu9KGM&feature=relmfu