![]() ![]() ![]() It was during the 14th century that a different dialect (known as the East-Midlands) began to develop around the London area. Refer to the image below for an idea of the changes to the English language during this time frame. This brings to mind a colleague’s lisp and I take to wondering: if this were a few hundred years ago, and we were in medieval Britain, could we have imagined that a speech defect would bring about the amazing changes modern history is now looking back on? Something to ponder… Similarly, John McWhorter points out that while the Norsemen and their English counterparts were able to comprehend one another in a manner of speaking, the Norsemen’s inability to pronounce the endings of various words ultimately resulted in the loss of inflectional endings. Case endings are “ a suffix on an inflected noun, pronoun, or adjective that indicates its grammatical function.”Ĭharles Laurence Barber comments, “The loss and weakening of unstressed syllables at the ends of words destroyed many of the distinctive inflections of Old 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 the language, Norman and French influences remained the dominant language until the 14th century.Īn interesting fact to note is that this period has been attributed with the loss of case endings that ultimately resulted in inflection markers being replaced by more complex features of the language. It was during this period that the English language, and more specifically, English grammar, started evolving with particular attention to syntax. This period ended with the consequential evolution of the English language towards Early Middle English. 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.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.Prehistoric or Primitive (5th to 7th Century) – available literature or documentation referencing this period is not available aside from limited examples of Anglo-Saxon runes.Old English can be further subdivided into the following: Īlbert Baugh, a notable English professor at the University of Pennsylvania notes amongst his published works that around 85% of Old English is no longer in use however, surviving elements form the basis of the Modern English language today. The word England and English originated from the Old English word Engla-land, literally meaning “the land of the Angles” where they spoke Englisc. 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.ĭuring the invasion, the native Britons were driven north and west into lands we now refer to as Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Three Germanic tribes, the Jutes, Saxons and Angles were seeking new lands to conquer, and crossed over from the North Sea. While English grammar does play a part when taking courses to improve English overall, it is but a small part of the overall curriculum where one becomes immersed in a history that was partly influenced by myths, battles, and legends on one hand, and the everyday workings of its various social class on the other.Īccording to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the English language itself really took off with the invasion of Britain during the 5th century. Many of you will be forgiven for thinking that studying an English Language course consists of English grammar more than anything else. Quirks and inconsistencies aside, the history surrounding its monumental rise is both a fascinating and rich one, and while we promise to be brief, you just might pick up a thing or two that may stimulate your interest in studying English with us here at Oxford International English Schools. 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.
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