History of
the English Language
A short history of the origins and
development of 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. 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.
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.
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The invading Germanic tribes spoke similar languages, which in Britain
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
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.
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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. 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 dominant 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 English
Early Modern English (1500-1800)
Towards the end of 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.
Hamlet's famous "To be, or
not to be" lines, written in Early Modern English by Shakespeare.
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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 of London, where
most publishing houses were, became the standard. In 1604 the first English
dictionary was published.
Hoy
más que nunca resulta imprescindible aprender el idioma inglés. Cada día se
emplea más en casi todas las áreas del conocimiento y desarrollo humanos.
Prácticamente puede afirmarse que se trata de la lengua del mundo actual. Es, en
la era de la globalización, la gran lengua internacional, una “lingua franca”
que ha repercutido en todos los países no-anglosajones, incluida España, y que
afecta más o menos directamente a los diversos campos y profesiones. Su posesión
ya no puede tratarse como un lujo, sino que es una necesidad evidente. Es más,
incluso se dice ya que quien no domine esa lengua estaría en una clara situación
de desventaja: sería como si fuese mudo o medio analfabeto. Y sobran las razones
para decirlo. La pretensión de este documento es, pues, la de hacer ver estos
motivos y concienciar a la juventud y a sus familias de la enorme importancia de
adquirir dicho idioma.
