Books

IMPORTANT EVENTS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE

By jmmrr
  • c. 450-500 AD – Anglo-Saxon Migration:
    450

    c. 450-500 AD – Anglo-Saxon Migration:

    Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) migrate to Britain, marking the beginning of Old English.
  • c. 731 AD – Bede's "Ecclesiastical History
    731

    c. 731 AD – Bede's "Ecclesiastical History

    The historian Bede writes about the early history of England and its language.
  • c. 800-1000 AD – Old Norse Influence
    800

    c. 800-1000 AD – Old Norse Influence

    Viking invasions introduce many Norse words into English (e.g., "sky," "knife," "they")
  • 1066 AD – Norman Conquest
    1066

    1066 AD – Norman Conquest

    French becomes the language of the ruling class, influencing Middle English with thousands of French words.
  • c. 1387-1400 AD – Geoffrey Chaucer writes "The Canterbury Tales"
    1387

    c. 1387-1400 AD – Geoffrey Chaucer writes "The Canterbury Tales"

    One of the most famous works in Middle English.
  • 1476 AD – Printing Press in England
    1476

    1476 AD – Printing Press in England

    William Caxton introduces the printing press, helping to standardize English spelling and grammar.
  • 1500-1650 (16th-17th century) – The English Renaissance
    1500

    1500-1650 (16th-17th century) – The English Renaissance

    Major expansion of vocabulary due to Latin and Greek influences.
  • 1604 AD – First English Dictionary

    1604 AD – First English Dictionary

    "Table Alphabeticall" by Robert Cawdrey is published.
  • 1611 AD – King James Bible

    1611 AD – King James Bible

    A major influence on English prose and expression.
  • 1755 AD – Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

    1755 AD – Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

    A major step in standardizing English spelling and definitions.
  • 1795 AD – Lindley Murray's English Grammar

    1795 AD – Lindley Murray's English Grammar

    One of the first major English grammar books.
  • 19th Century – Industrial Revolution & British Empire Expansion

    19th Century – Industrial Revolution & British Empire Expansion

    English spreads worldwide and absorbs words from many languages.
  • 1928 AD – Oxford English Dictionary Completed

    1928 AD – Oxford English Dictionary Completed

    One of the most comprehensive dictionaries of the English language.
  • 20th-21st Century – Rise of American English & Global English

    20th-21st Century – Rise of American English & Global English

    Media, technology, and the internet spread English worldwide, making it a global lingua franca.