The History of the English Language

  • 400

    The start of the english language

  • Period: 450 to 1100

    Old English Era

    Some examples of Old English Include heir, hither and thwart
  • 541

    Justanians Plague

  • 632

    Islam founder Muhammad dies

  • 700

    Beowulf's writing

    A poem written in old English and first documentation of the English language
  • 1066

    The norman invasion

    The Norman invasion influenced the old English language by adding French words.
  • 1095

    First Crusade

  • Period: 1100 to 1500

    Middle English

    Some Middle English words include than, artow and but if
  • 1149

    Oxford University founded

  • 1223

    Genghis Khan invades Russia

  • Aug 26, 1346

    First big battle of the 100 year war

  • 1388

    Chaucer's canterbury tales

    One of the first Middle English texts
  • 1492

    Discovery of North America

    A new distinct American English was born by losing some traditional English words
  • Period: 1500 to

    Modern English

    Some modern English words include anchor, friend and agonize
  • 1556

    Earthquake in China kills 830,000

  • invention of printing press

    English became the standard printing language and more people learned to read
  • First settlement in Jamestown, Virginia

  • Shakespeare first folio

    Shakespeare's plays had been published before but this was the first full book published
  • Industrial Revolution

    The industrial revolution led to the modern English we use nowadays.
  • Napoleon crowned Emperor of France