History of English Language for English Lang. Students

By Tim898
  • 450

    Arrival of the Anglo-Saxons in Britain

  • Period: 450 to 1150

    Old English

  • Period: 750 to 1050

    Influence of Old Norse from Viking invasions

  • 1066

    Norman Conquest

    French becomes the language of the ruling class.
  • Period: 1150 to 1500

    Middle English

  • 1350

    Development of Middle English literature

    Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales"
  • Period: 1350 to

    The Great Vowel Shift

  • 1476

    Invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg and its introduction to England

  • Period: 1500 to

    Early Modern English

  • Period: 1580 to

    Shakespeare's works contribute significantly to vocabulary and expressions

  • Publication of the King James Bible, which influences the language

  • Period: to

    Modern English

    Standardization of English grammar and spelling (18th century).
  • Period: to

    The Industrial Revolution

  • Samuel Johnson's "A Dictionary of the English Language"

  • Period: to

    Globalization and the spread of English as a global lingua franca

  • Period: to

    21st Century Developments

    Emergence of digital communication and social media language; Increased influence of global English variations (e.g., Indian English, Singapore English).