The History of the English Language

By nsavagec
  • Period: 400 to

    The History of English

    English is a diverse language, and it took a long time to develop. We can see this in the developments of words. For example, rabbit;
    Old English: Coney
    Middle English: Rabet
    Modern English: Rabbit
  • 450

    OLD- Anglo-Saxon settlement (Angles, Frisians, Saxons, Jutes) of Britain begins

  • OLD- Suspected date of Beowulf's writing
    700

    OLD- Suspected date of Beowulf's writing

    The suspected date of Beowulf's writing was between 700-1000 AD.
  • Oct 14, 1066

    OLD- The Norman Invasion

    This invasion brought many French terms into Old English vocabulary.
  • MIDDLE- The Canterbury Tales Publication
    1400

    MIDDLE- The Canterbury Tales Publication

    The Canterbury tales is a collection of 24 stories, and one of the first major writings to go down in history as an important read.
  • 1450

    MIDDLE- Invention of the printing press

    A revolution that made books easier to create, the printing press was a large step towards the development of the English language.
  • Jun 24, 1497

    MIDDLE- The Discovery of North America

  • MODERN- Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio

    MODERN- Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio

  • MODERN- Samuel Johnson's English Dictionary

    Samuel Johnson's English Dictionary is known as one of the most popular ones to date. It's very important in the development of the English language, finally putting many words to paper.

  • MODERN- The American Revolution

    The beginning of one of the largest nations, one that uses English as its main language.