DECEMBER 27, 2022

history of the english language

world's most influential languages, with its impact estimated at +2 billion people. Despite its

quirks and inconsistencies, the history of its colossal ascent is intriguing and rich; and while we

vow to be brief, you could learn something that piques your interest in studying English at

Oxford International English Schools. Where it all started, many of you could be forgiven for

assuming that grammar is the main focus of English classes (Durai, 2009). While students do

study English grammar during general English development classes, it is just a minor portion of

the curriculum. Instead, students are immersed in a history that was shaped by myths, wars, and

the daily lives of many social groups.

The spread of the English language mirrored the arrival of the Saxons in Britain inside the fifth

century. People in Britain spoke a number of Celtic dialects, hence there was no such thing as the

English language that is taught in so many English language classes today. Old English (5th to

11th Century). Approximately 85 percent of Old English is just no longer used, yet its remnants

constitute the foundation of modern English language, as noted by eminent English professor and

University of Pennsylvania alum Albert Baugh in his published works. The limited collection in

Anglo-Saxon runes that dates from of the fifth to the seventh century is the only writing or

record from this time period that has survived to the present day (Algeo, 2013). A Form of

English Spoken around the Turn of the Seventh to Tenth Centuries — Poets and writers like

Cynewulf or Aldhelm, prominent characters in Anglo-Saxon poetry, are among the earliest

known to have written in English. The Norman Conquest of England marked the end of Late Old

English, the final stage of the Old English language. This period finished when Early Middle

English developed from Old English.

development of English grammar. In spite of efforts to Anglicize the language by the British

government and very well inhabitants, Norman or French remained the most spoken languages in

Britain until the 14th century. The term "syntax" refers to the rules a language follows in order to

construct meaningful sentences.

During this time, case endings disappeared, and inflection signs gave way to increasingly

nuanced language elements. Case endings are "a suffix that defines the grammatical function of

the inflected noun, pronoun, and adjective," as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary.

History of the English language; "many of the unique inflections of Old English were erased by

the loss or weakening the unstressed syllables just at ends of sentences," writes linguist Charles

Laurence Barber. John McWhorter makes similar assertions, noting that the Norsemen like their

English contemporaries could speak informally, but that the latter's failure to define the ends of

some words led to the eventual loss of inflectional endings.

Maybe if we had lived a few hundred years ago in mediaeval Britain, we would have been able

to foresee the incredible developments that have taken place in the contemporary era. Something

about this makes me think of the coworker who speaks with a lisp. This should be taken into

account. For a visual representation of the evolution of the English language throughout this

period, please refer to the image below.

Late Middle English; In the 14th century, a separate local dialect called East-Midlands emerged

in the London area. Popular opinion was that Geoffrey Chaucer, the Canterbury Tales' creator

and the modern-day "Father of English Literature", was the greatest poet of his day. Nonetheless,

he persisted in writing several of his characters in northern languages (Berber, 2002).

Chancery clerks, so the legend goes, spoke fluent French as well as Latin. Prior to a 1430s, the

majority of speakers of English and Latin were members of the aristocracy, including the

monarchy, the clergy, and the wealthy Britons who paid others to handle their paperwork. After

this time period, clerks began pronouncing the words gaf (gave), like (not swich), theyre (their),

but not hir (hire). The language used in this passage is beginning to sound more like

contemporary English. These secretaries played a pivotal role in the development of the

communication style that laid the groundwork for Early Modern English.

Early Modern English; the English Renaissance and its attendant shifts in pronunciation,

vocabulary, or syntax occurred between the middle of the 16th as well as the beginning of the

17th century. Unlike its sizzling-hot-skillet-related cousin, the Italian Renaissance, the English

Renaissance flourished around the end of the fifteenth century on much more peaceful grounds.

Although it was slow to gain momentum at first, the Elizabethan Revival was ultimately a

celebration of the Elizabethan Age's golden age of culture and society.

Learners of English have William Caxton to thank for the dissemination of Early Modern

English thanks to his invention of the printing press. The widespread distribution of the English

Bible made possible by the printing press was crucial in standardizing written and spoken

English. Thomas Malory's Le Morted'Arthur, which Caxton published, is considered the first

print bestseller. Malory's use of his own language to recount several stories centering on the

legendary King Arthur as well as the Knights of the Round Table helped preserve the survival of

Early Modern English in a roundabout way. During Henry VIII's reign, the vernacular flourished

in England because commoners could finally read the Bible inside a language they understood.

Despite its limited influence, the first full translation of a Catholic Bible into English had a
crucial effect in the continuous evolution of the English language, especially among the global

British Catholic community. It was published around the end of the 16th century (Gelderen,

2014).

At the turn of the 17th century, the world would be enthralled by William Shakespeare's works.

What made Shakespeare's impact so significant during his time? Shakespeare began writing at a

period when international interaction in the form of war, colonization, as well as other means had

already begun to profoundly affect the English language. Shakespeare as well as other aspiring

playwrights, frustrated by the limitations of the English language, helped cement these shifts.

Therefore, when foreign words or phrases were "accepted," they were modified and incorporated

to the English language, which improved communication and understanding between speakers of

both languages (Baugh, 1993).

In the early 17th century, the first successful English colony was established in the region now

known as New World. While settling in Jamestown, Virginia, the English conquerors picked up

local idioms, which they eventually incorporated into the English language (Strang, 2015).

A number of distinct varieties of English, influenced by languages spoken in West Africa, North

America, South America, Spain, and Europe, emerged as a result of the constant inflow of new

people throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries due to both voluntary and forced (slave)

migration (Hale, 1987).

The English Civil War, which broke out in the seventeenth century, threw England into political

and social chaos. It was immediately after the execution of Charles I that a puritanical movement

arose in England. After the success of the Parliamentarians in the War, censorship was
unavoidable, and Puritans advocated an austere lifestyle in response to what they viewed as the

excesses of a previous rule (Baugh, 1951).

Before Charles II was anointed king, the Puritans ruled England for a little over a decade. His

assertion of authority symbolized the restoration of a Stuart Monarchy and marked the beginning

of the Restoration era, which saw the flourishing of poetry and philosophical writing, among

other things. Authors like John Milton created writings during this time that would go on to be

considered classics centuries later (Perkin, 2003).

English in the 21st Century; one would be hard-pressed to uncover any clear connections

between Modern English & Old English if they were to study any of the many English language

courses now offered (Norvig, 2002). Even if texting on smartphones has made a joke of the

English language, the current British Royal Family is a wonderful live example of how far the

language has come in terms of proper grammar. Because of this, there are those who worry that

if they speak English fluently, they would come across as superior and rude.

Before passing judgment, think about what you've read. How a language emerged from the

rubble of wars between prehistoric peoples. Just consider the hardships our ancestors endured

and the things they were willing to give up to defend the right to free speech (Smith, 2013)s.

Everything has been leading up to the point where ESL students decide to study English on their

own time, something that most of us consider normal because there are so many resources

available to help us become better ESL speakers. If Shakespeare isn't your favorite author,

perhaps J.K. Rowling and John Milton will be. No matter your taste, you may appreciate the

many ways in which these novelists, poets, or playwrights bring their words to life. They have an

active history that is still evolving now (Crystal, 2018).

language. English gives you access to multiple cultures at once. It is considered to be a business

language as well as an internet language. People from any part of the world can understand

English. It is the mode of communication all over the world. If a person has a good command of

speaking English can travel worldwide easily. English is the language of universities worldwide.

So, if you are a good English speaker you can go anywhere in the world without any hesitation.
References

1. Algeo, J., & Butcher, C. A. (2013). The origins and development of the English language.

Cengage Learning.

2. Baugh, Albert (1951). A History of the English Language. London: Routledge & Kegan

Paul. pp. 60–83; 110–130 (Scandinavian influence).

3. Baugh, A., & Cable, T. (1993). A history of the English language. Routledge.

4. Berber, Charles Laurence (2000). The English Language; A Historical

Introduction. Cambridge University Press. p.157.

5. Crystal, D. (2018). The Cambridge encyclopedia of the English language. Cambridge

university press.

6. Durai, D. N., & Soundrarajan, A. (2009). Importance of English language. International

Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Science, 38.

7. Hale Jr, E. E. (1897). A brief history of the English language.

8. Norvig, P. R., & Intelligence, S. A. (2002). A modern approach. Prentice Hall Upper

Saddle River, NJ, USA: Rani, M., Nayak, R., & Vyas, OP (2015). An ontology-based

adaptive personalized e-learning system, assisted by software agents on cloud storage.

Knowledge-Based Systems, 90, 33-48.

9. Gelderen, E. (2014). A history of the English language. A History of the English

Language, 1-358.

10. Strang, B. M. (2015). A history of English. Routledge.

11. Perkin, H. (2003). The origins of modern English society. Routledge.

12. Smith, J. J. (2013). Essentials of Early English: Old, Middle and Early Modern English.

Routledge.