Internet 27669120

Evolution of English Timeline (source: HIS110 - The History of English, 2014)

By Monsieur
  • Period: 700 BCE to 449

    Pre-English Era

  • 449

    Germanic Tribes

    Germanic Tribes
    Germanic Tribes invade Britain - Angles, Saxons, Jutes.
  • Period: 450 to 1100

    Old English Era

    Old English was heavily based on Germanic phonology and morphology with relatively free syntax.
  • 600

    England converts to Christianity

    England converts to Christianity
    Latin had a strong influence on religious words (abbot, altar, chalice, hymn, relic, etc.) after the introduction of Christianity. The image is of the first Arch Bishop of Canterbury.
  • Oct 14, 1066

    The Norman Conquest / Battle of Hastings

    The Norman Conquest / Battle of Hastings
    William the Conqueror's victory in the Battle of Hastings opened the door to French which had a lasting impact on the English language. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/1066-battle-of-hastings-abbey-and-battlefield/history-and-stories/history/significance/ https://youtu.be/oLy1LskT6Y8
  • Period: 1100 to 1450

    Middle English Era

    Middle English was Germanic with an extensive Roman vocabulary. The complex structure of Old English disappears.
  • 1204

    Normandy and England are separated

    Normandy and England are separated
    John Lackland lost his English possessions in France which led to a gradual decline of the influence of French over English.
  • 1337

    Hundred Years' War

    Hundred Years' War
    From 1337 through 1453, the English lost all continental holdings and therefore lost the need to know French.
  • 1348

    The Black Death

    The Black Death
    1348-1351 - One-third of the population died which led to labor shortages and to an increase in English (used by working classes).
  • 1450

    The Great Vowel Shift

    The Great Vowel Shift
    (1450-1650) Five of the seven long vowels of Middle English were raised and two became diphthongized making English intelligible to the modern ear.
  • Period: 1450 to

    Early Modern English Era

    Very analytic, syntax consisted of subject, verb, object. The phonology changed greatly with the Great Vowel Shift.
  • 1476

    Printing Press

    Printing Press
    William Caxton introduces the printing press to England which helped to standardize the English language.
  • 1500

    Colonization

    Colonization
    The start of colonization led to a global spread of the English language.
  • 1509

    Henry VIII

    Henry VIII
    Henry VIII cuts ties to Rome and the Catholic Church. English shifts from a regional European language to a global system of communication.

  • Shakespeare

    Shakespeare
    Shakespeare's works were so influential to Early Modern English that the period is often known as Shakespearian English.
  • Period: to

    Modern English Era