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The first Latin translation of the Christian Gospel was completed.
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In the 600s, Anglo-Saxons are largely converted to Christianity by St. Augustine and Irish missionaries. This brings many Greek and Latin words into the English language.
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700s to the 1000s
Beowulf was written in Old English and it is believe that it was written sometime in within this period. Excerpt from Beowulf: "Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon." Modern English Translation:
"Yo! We have heard tell of the majesty of the Speardanes, of the Folk-kings, how the princes did valorous deeds." -
In the mid 800s Danes raid England and build up a kingdom in York. Danish starts to influence the English Language.
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This event introduced a form of French into England. French begins to influence the English language
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The University of Cambridge is founded. This has had a lasting influence on the English language ever since.
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English becomes the official language of England by decree of The Statute of Pleading.
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John Wycliffe's translation of the Latin Bible into English is published around this time and is a significant part of the development of the English Language.
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These tales were written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer. Excerpt from The Knight's Tale:
"Whilom, as olde stories tellen us,
Ther was a duc that highte Theseus;" Modern English translation:
"Once on a time, as old stories tell to us,
There was a duke whose name was Theseus:" -
The printing press was invented around this time and had a major impact on the way the written language was recorded. It increased the availiability of text for all to be able to read by an enormous amount.
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Christopher Columbus finds his way to land in the Western Hemisphere.
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The King James Version of The Bible was enormously impactful to the written English language due to the fact that it was the most widely published book of its time and was the means by which many people learned how to read and write.
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Shakespeare's First Folio was published sometime in the later part of this year. It was written in (Early) Modern English.
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The very first English dictionary called "A Dictionary of the English Language" by Samuel Johnson was published on this day. The English language has had a much slower rate of change due to the creation of this dictionary.
Excerpt from "A Dictionary of the English Language":
"Jack by the Hedge. n.s. An herb. Jack by the hedge is an herb that grows wild under hedges, is eaten as other sallads are, and much used in broth. Mortim." -
The American Revolution was the collective movements and events that revolved around the thirteen North American colonies under British power rebeling against the unfair taxes. These all collectively concluded in the creation of a new independent country, The United States of America. This all ended in 1783.
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The invention of the internet and its release to the public was an enormous step for the English language. Not only did it inspire many new ways of learning about English, but it also made changing the English language possible through easy wide-spread communication.
Some English phrases common on the internet today:
"Do you even lift bro?"
"You only live once"
"I'm Swagalicious"
"Thug Life"
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