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The Old English period began in 449 with the arrival of three Germanic tribes from the Continent: The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. They settled in the south and east of Britain, which was then inhabited by the Celts. https://langster.org/en/blog/a-brief-history-of-the-english-language-from-old-english-to-modern-days/
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The introduction of Christianity in 597 brought about immense changes to England in social and religious matters. It also had far-reaching effects on the English language. https://learnershub24x7.com/how-did-christianity-affect-the-english-language/ -
Words of Old Norse origin have entered the English language, primarily from the contact between Old Norse and Old English during colonization of eastern and northern England between the mid-9th to the 11th centuries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Old_Norse_origin
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French influence on the population was so significant that Anglo-Saxon commoners began consistently employing French vocabulary, even creating new words using French affixes and roots. Over centuries, French influence changed English from a homogenous language to a diverse, mixed one and greatly altered its grammar. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2022/07/350430/french-influence-on-the-english-language-under-norman-occupation -
Late Middle English, from about 1400 to about 1500, which was marked by the spread of the London literary dialect and the gradual cleavage between the Scottish dialect and the other northern dialects. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Late-Middle-English-language
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The printing press was brought to England by William Claxton in 1476. These new machine-made books much cheaper to produce and to buy and therefore levels of literacy climbed much higher among the English people. This also helped begin the greater standardization of spelling and grammar. https://www.myenglishlanguage.com/history-of-english/middle-english/ -
In the Early Modern English period (1500–1700), steps were taken toward Standard English, and this was also the time when Shakespeare wrote, but these perspectives are only part of the bigger picture. This chapter looks at Early Modern English as a variable and changing language not unlike English today. https://www.myenglishlanguage.com/history-of-english/early-modern-english/
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The first permanent English colony in America was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. The founder of the Jamestown settlement was the adventurer Captain John Smith, famous for being saved from execution by Pocahontas, the daughter of an Indian chief. https://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item126643.html#:~:text=The%20first%20permanent%20English%20colony,daughter%20of%20an%20Indian%20chief. -
Samuel Johnson's 'Dictionary of the English Language' is one of the most famous dictionaries in history. First published in 1755, the dictionary took just over eight years to compile and listed 40,000 words. https://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item104671.html#:~:text=Samuel%20Johnson's%20'Dictionary%20of%20the,Johnson%20required%20only%20six%20helpers.