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400
The Year 400 (Old English)
The year 400 saw Old English as the primary English language. England saw the Introduction of English around this time, being brought to the lands by Anglo-Saxon tribes from Central Europe. Words and phrases from this era include "Burh" meaning a fortified town and "Hurst" meaning a wooded hill, which is also my last name. -
725
Beowulf (Old English)
Thought to have been written somewhere between the years 700 and 750, Beowulf serves as the highest literary achievement of Old English. This Poem is important as it gives a glimpse into what the English language was like during this time period. It also helps historians understand what life was like for the Anglo-Saxons. -
800
Viking Influence on English (Old English)
Old Norse influence on Old English is major. Many Old Norse words are used all the time in present day English. Examples include "they" "them" "get" "give" and "take." -
1066
Norman Invasion (Old English)
The Norman Invasion brought a change to language on a massive scale as the entire country of England was now being governed by people who spoke a different language. This change created a new kind of hybrid English that had a mix of French and English words. despite the changes, this is still Old English. -
1300
Renaissance Period (Middle English)
During this time period the English language saw tremendous growth as education was seen as admirable and desirable. More people were becoming literate and the English spoken around this time is understandable even today. Words and Phrases include "Morrow" meaning "Morning" and "What stands the hour?" meaning "What time is it?" -
1346
The Black Death (Middle English)
A pandemic so sever it consumed the lives of 25,000,000 people (30%-50% of the European population.) The Black Death, or Bubonic Plague, wiped out many bloodlines and many areas recovered from the devastation. This caused many English variants to be wiped from existence. Had the Black death never occurred there would likely have been more forms of English. Maybe American English would be entirely different. -
1392
Canterbury Tales (Middle English)
Considered to be Chaucer's Masterpiece, the Canterbury Tales serve as an important piece of literature for the times of Middle English as it serves as a lens for historians to look through in efforts of understanding the social classes of this time. -
1400
The Great Vowel Shift (Middle English)
The Great Vowel Shift was a period of time where vowels were drastically shortened. The Great Vowel Shift caused silent letters in words like "knight" to become a thing. It also changed the pronunciation of many Middle English words. -
1436
The Invention of the Printing Press (middle English)
Though similar artifacts have been found in China proving to be hundreds of years older, the printing press was invented in 1436. This invention is pivotal for the English language as up until this invention, stories and history were told through generations by word of mouth which was prone to inaccuracy and led to a fog of sorts surrounding events before this time. For such an astonishing piece of technology to have been invented during the times of Middle English is astonishing. -
1492
Discovery of North America (Modern English)
Love him or hate him, Christopher Columbus played a major role in progressing humanity and the English language with his discovery of North America. By discovering this new land there became a giant gap on the globe between English speakers which isolated the two groups in the sense of verbal communication. Over time, this led to different types of English sprouting up. This is the first major event of the times of Modern English. -
Shakespeare's First Folio (Modern English)
Shakespeare's First Folio is the first ever printed collection of William Shakespeare's work. This book contained 36 plays within its pages. this book was published 7 years after the death of William Shakespeare and was a critical piece of literature for a variety of reasons. It excelled in spreading Modern English. -
The American Revolution (Modern English)
The revolutionary war lasted from 1775 to 1783. The war changed the timeline of the English language as the American Colonies were now an independent nation. They no longer were to head by the laws of England. This caused a cultural division which inevitably led to the English Language making drastic changes once again. -
Industrial Revolution (Modern English)
The Industrial revolution saw more people becoming literate which increased the stability of the English language. The Industrial Revolution also introduced many new words to describe things such as new technologies like "Steam Engines." -
The Evolution of American English (Modern English
By 1850 American English has had time to grow into its own unique dialect. Many words and phrases have become popular in the region such as "Iron Horse" referring to a train and "Ace-high" meaning high class. Though most of these words and phrases wouldn't survive even 100 years. -
The Year 2012 (Modern English)
By this point in time, English has evolved immensely. Slang is more common than ever, Different parts of the world have their own versions of English. For now, most English is universally understood by English speakers around the world.