English language time line picture

Origin and Diffusion of English Language

  • Norman Invasion
    Jan 1, 1066

    Norman Invasion

    England was conquered by the Normans, influencing the French language upon the country. French was established as England's official language (for the next 150 years). The leaders/ upper class of England spoke French, however the lower class people continued to speak English because they lacked the knowledge of the French language.
  • Jan 23, 1100

    German Invasion

    Invading tribes (Jutes, Angles, and the Saxons) pushed the Celts into Britain. The English language evolved within these three groups when they migrated to England.
  • Conflict: England and France
    Feb 2, 1204

    Conflict: England and France

    England entered a long conflict with France after England lost control of Normandy.
  • Statute of Pleading
    May 19, 1362

    Statute of Pleading

    To change the official language of court business from French and English, Parliament enacted the Statute of Pleading in 1362.
  • Printing Press
    Jan 19, 1476

    Printing Press

    In the 18th century, grammer books and dictionaries were established and taught in schools throughout the country of London to broadcast London based rules for spelling and grammer.
  • First Permanent settlement by the English in NA

    First Permanent settlement by the English in NA

    Jamestown was established as the first permanent English settlement in North America in 1607. A majority of the settlers came and represented a diversity of social-class backgrounds. The the diffusion of the English dialect is dispersed because of the independent and isolated colonies in the 17th century.
  • Diffusion of English

    In the year 1899, Spain ceded to the United States. The English language has diffused to a multiple of places, expecially noticable in the Philippines.
  • Classification of Dialects

    Classification of Dialects

    Hans Kurath found the greatest diversity of dialects in the easter part of the country (vocabulary on farms)/. He divided the U.S. into three major dialect regions: Northern, Midlands, and Southern.