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The Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes invade Britain. The inhabitants of Britain at the time spoke Celtic, but these German tribes pushed them west and north. The Angles tribe brought with them their language of Englisc, from which the word English is derived.
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Beginning of Christian conversion of the Anglo-Saxons.
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Excerpt from Beowolf:
LO, praise of the prowess of people-kings
of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped,
we have heard, and what honor the athelings won!
Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes,
from many a tribe, the mead-bench tore,
awing the earls. Since erst he lay
friendless, a foundling, fate repaid him:
for he waxed under welkin, in wealth he throve,
till before him the folk, both far and near,
who house by the whale-path, heard his mandate,
gave him gifts: a good king he! -
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The Canterbury Tales is a collection of 24 stories that runs over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer. Excerpt:
WHAN that Aprille with his shoures soote
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich icour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne -
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