Old English (450-1066)

It is said that almost half of today’s English originated from the Old English which was spoken in the
1100’s by what tribes?

Roman- Latin

Anglo-saxon, 25to 30k words. Contants resulted borrowing of words. Celtic, latin, Scandinavian. Latin
came from Anglo Saxons. Adopted Christianity, latin was the language of the church. Scandinavia was
influenced thru contact from the Vikings, old norse

Anglo saxon was more easy, like house, woman

antiqua antique, old antique, antiquity, ancient

longa Long longitude, longevity, long

magna large, great magnify, magnificent, magnitude

pictura Picture

Viking’s had old norse Thursday from Thorsday

Vikings gave 2000 words in English

husband húsbóndi hús (house) + bóndi (occupier and tiller of soil)

law Lag
litmus lit-mosi litr (dye) + mosi (moss)
loan Lán to lend
sale Sala
skill Skil Distinction
steak Steik to fry
thrall Þræll Slave
thrift Þrift Prosperity

Middle English (1066-1476)

Norman Conquest in Britain from Normandy in France.

Influential to the development of the English language. Aristocrasy was replaced by Norman Elites.
William and followers spoke French.

The peasants spoke English, overlords spoke French. Normans assimilated English. Vocabulary changes
due to French (provincial dialects).
French influence grew, French came took Normandy from England, English kings no holdings in France.
Shifted from Normandy to Paris which was more influential French. English then became a dominant
language with the borrowing of other languages. Vocabulary were mixed up, English being hybrid.
Despite being conquered, English grew and was never dead

French was the connotation of nobility, English was that of peasantry. A heart welcome/ cordial
reception

William the Conqueror invades England

7000 words are from French

Laywer, dean, hunt and chase, pig pork, freedom liberty—creative expression

Early Modern (1476-1776)

The Renaissance, rebirth of antiquity and learning. Had a powerful effect on following centuries.

Events had effect on the English language signaling a great sift.

Science played a great role in the development of English as words such as gravity, electricity were
invited by Isaac Newton and other English physicists.

William Shakespeare invented 2000 words in the dictionary, alligator, eyeball

English is comprehensive and therefore rich in nature, it grows over time, limitless power

Bandit Henry VI, Part 2. 1594

Critic Love’s Labour Lost. 1598.

Dauntless Henry VI, Part 3. 1616.

Dwindle Henry IV, Part 1. 1598.

Elbow (as a verb) King Lear. 1608.

Green-Eyed (to describe jealousy) The Merchant of Venice. 1600.

Lackluster As You Like It. 1616.

Lonely Coriolanus. 1616.

Skim-milk Henry IV, Part 1. 1598.

Swagger Midsummer Night’s Dream. 1600.

Shakespeare must have loved the prefix un- because he created or gave new meaning to more than
300 words that begin with it. Here are just a few:

Unaware Venus & Adonis. 1593.

Uncomfortable Romeo & Juliet. 1599

Undress Taming of the Shrew. 1616.

Unearthly A Winter’s Tale. 1616

Unreal Macbeth. 1623

GREAT VOWEL CHANGE – knave—kehnahveh (1500s)

Pronunciation before
Today’s Word
the Great Vowel Shift
Goose “goas” (oa as in boat)

Mine “meen”

Mice “mees”

Shire “sheer”

Sheep “shape”

House “hoos”

King James Bible (1611)

Translations, christianity

Printing Press (1476)

Books before were made by hand, made by the elite. Hundreds of copies of publications were made,
books and access to it were easy. Literacy were scattered. A great player to the development of access
to the language as everyone can access it. Vocabulary were also increasing.

Discovery of the New World (1492)

1776, American Revolution

English were on the rise and were predominantly used. Words were created thru Latin.
 We can see the ease of learning the English language.

Everyone can access English as it is used by many specifically the peasants. So, education was very
accessible back then.

English was the language of science, Christianity and literature.

The conquests made English dominant and prominent as well as the borrowing of English words in some
places such as barbecue in Caribbean, yoga and bungalow in India, Zombie in Africa

English resulted to peasantry, violence, racism, discrimination among others

1755, Samuel Johnson produced the Dictionary of the English Language

-lexicographers, contained 42, 773, 18 in tall

This lead to the very much understanding of people and conversing as everyone knew what a person
wanted to say

Native Americans shared and contributed words in English as early as the 1600s and even 1980s up until
now

American English was more fresh and new, easy to understand as it denotes words in the new age

English became more influential in the crusades and conquers of the Americans to almost everywhere.
This attempt, I see it more as the language of the elites than of everybody. Disparity of knowledge kicks
in as English were spoken by higher ups in some other country.

Modern English (1776)

Vocabulary were so rich, homogenous but because of conquests

Heterogenous vocabulary

Some are foreign, results from the apparent influences thru the development of the language. 1/3 of
the English are native. 2/3 are borrowed words of English

In terms of sources but all came from the Indo-European so still homo as it has same roots.

1972, internet English, email was sent

Adds more to the vocabulary in the late 90’s as more technological terms evolved

Development age