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Germanic Tribes invade Britain - Angles, Saxons, Jutes. -
Old English was heavily based on Germanic phonology and morphology with relatively free syntax.
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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. -
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 -
Middle English was Germanic with an extensive Roman vocabulary. The complex structure of Old English disappears.
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John Lackland lost his English possessions in France which led to a gradual decline of the influence of French over English. -
From 1337 through 1453, the English lost all continental holdings and therefore lost the need to know French. -
1348-1351 - One-third of the population died which led to labor shortages and to an increase in English (used by working classes). -
(1450-1650) Five of the seven long vowels of Middle English were raised and two became diphthongized making English intelligible to the modern ear. -
Very analytic, syntax consisted of subject, verb, object. The phonology changed greatly with the Great Vowel Shift.
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William Caxton introduces the printing press to England which helped to standardize the English language. -
The start of colonization led to a global spread of the English language. -
Henry VIII cuts ties to Rome and the Catholic Church. English shifts from a regional European language to a global system of communication. -
Shakespeare's works were so influential to Early Modern English that the period is often known as Shakespearian English. -