History of English

Julius Caesar

55 BCE

The first important date in the historyof England- Julius Caeser, the Roman dictator who took control of the empire, invaded Britain. Caeser wanted to extend his power and make these islands part of Roman Empire, but it was not an easy job and he returned to France having gained no real control over the country. Still, the Romans continued trying to take over the island and in a little less than on hundred years, all of England had been conquered and it was under Roman rule.

Wiliam the Conqueror

Oct 16, 1066

Wiliam the Conqueror sailed to England with the intention of taking control of the country from the English King Harold. On October 14, 1066, the armies of the two men fought a battle near the English town of Hastings. Wiliam won, an Harold was killed. After winning the Battle of Hastings, the French-speaking Wiliam became king of England, and the Anglo-Saxon period was over.

King John

Jan 1, 1200

After the year 1200, one of Wiliam's descendant's, King John, lost his territory in France, and the French influens in England began to decline. By now, the English language was gaining more respect, but it had become a mix of Old English (Celtic, German, and Norse) with many new French vocabulary words. In fact, the about ten thousand French words came directly into English during the Middle English period, and most of them are still in the language today.

The Modern English period.

Jan 1, 1500

The Modern English period began around the year 1500, and it is basically the language that we use today. There were still changes in the language, however. One of the biggest of these was called the Great English Vowel Shift, which was a change in the pronunciation of the language as it became shorter and faster.