ENG303: HISTORY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE
SHORT NOTE TOPICS
English Language Roots
The history of English language is interestingly complex. English is classified as a Germanic language,
meaning that it belongs to the Germanic language family. More specifically, English belongs to the West
Germanic language family group, along with German and Dutch. The Germanic language family originally
descended from the Indo-European language family which itself descends from Proto-Indo-European, the
parent tongue of English as spoken by European nomads over 5,000 years ago.
Who Created the English Language?
The English language started with just a few groups of European settlers before being heavily influenced by
other cultures and languages. The Celts were the first people to inhabit the British Isles around 1,000 B.C.E.
However, the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes were the first known people to use the English language, settling in
Britain between the years 400 and 500 C.E. Although each group of settlers spoke a different dialect, the
speech of all three groups was collectively referred to as Englisc because of the Old English name for the
Angles, which was Engle. The Old English term originated from the Latin and Common Germanic word for
Angles, Angli.
English Language Timeline
The English language that is spoken today has progressed through several versions throughout history. The
history of the English language began with Old English, the earliest known version of the English language,
in the 7th-century C.E., then evolved into Middle English by the 12th-century C.E. Middle English is
thought of as the transition period between Old English and Early Modern English. It was during this period
that the author Geoffrey Chaucer wrote his famous work The Canterbury Tales.
Middle English was spoken until the 16th-century C.E. when Early Modern English began to be used.
Early Modern English is the period during which playwright William Shakespeare wrote and produced all of
his works. The language expanded into Late Modern English at the turn of the 19th-century, and this is the
version of English spoken today. The evolution of the English language, including dates and examples of
words in each version, is illustrated in the following table.
Roman, Germanic, and Christian Influences
The English language results from a mixture of Roman, Germanic, and Christian influences. The Roman
influence on the English language began when Julius Caesar led the Roman army into Britain around 55
B.C.E. Britain was not officially part of the Roman Empire until 43 C.E., an occupation that lasted until 410
C.E. During this period of occupation, the language of the Romans (Latin) inevitably penetrated the
language of the Britains (English). After the Romans exited Britain, new groups of settlers arrived from the
Germanic countries of Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. These settlers, known as the Angles,
Saxons, and Jutes, are said to have invented the English language. For this reason, English is classified as a
Germanic language.
Christianity was introduced to Britain by the Romans from the start of their occupation of the island. By the
time the Romans left Britain, the majority of those who lived on the island were Christians. One of the most
notable ways that Christianity contributed to the English language was through the Latin alphabet. Because
Latin was the official alphabet used by the Christian Church, it was the most logical choice for the alphabet
of the written English language.
Importance of Language
Language is a major distinguishing feature of humans as a species. No other species can communicate as
clearly and effectively as we can. Across the globe, many different languages have developed over long
periods of time. Let's look briefly at how the English language developed.
The Beginnings of English
Languages are split into language families, which are basically related groups of languages. Think of a
language as a living entity that does not die out completely. Instead, it will evolve in order to accommodate
a changing society. For example, Latin is often thought of as a dead language. But you can also view it as a
language that changed to become Spanish, French, and even Italian. We'll focus today on English, which is a
part of the Germanic language family.
England has been inhabited back to the dawn of man. Little is known of the language of the very first
people, but eventually the Celts grew to be popular in the area between 400 and 200 BCE. The Celtic people
became more widespread and even sacked Rome in 390 BCE. The Germanic and Latin languages of the
time were incorporated into their Celtic language. Remnants of this language are present-day Irish, Scottish,
and Welsh.
Roman Influence
The British islands, which are present day Wales, England, Ireland, and Scotland, were left to their own
devices until the Romans began invasions around 50 BCE. They occupied the area for nearly 400 years,
until finally leaving to defend lands closer to Italy in 410 CE. Over these years, the Romans had a major
impact on the language.
Have you even taken a French or Spanish class? If you have, you most likely have noticed many similar
words. For example, baguette, ballet, café, and fiancé are all French words that we use in English. Also,
alligator, alpaca, burrito, and coyote are all of Spanish origin. Remember, French and Spanish are classified
as Latin languages, whereas English is Germanic. The few hundred years of Roman occupation is just the
beginning of the Latin influence on English.
Germanic Influence
You might be wondering, ‘If the Latin languages had such an impact, then why is English classified as a
Germanic language?’ The answer is that the main influence on English actually came from the Germanic
tribes who settled in central Europe. These languages include German, Dutch, Austrian, and Swedish.
Germanic invasions brought in an age of destruction and dark times. The invasion began around 449 CE
after the Romans had left the territory. The Briton people had been dependent on the Romans for so long that
they were not able to defend themselves from invading forces. The tribes that invaded were the Angles,
Saxons, and Jutes.
Because of these tribes, the ancestors of Englishmen are classified as Anglo-Saxons. The Anglo-Saxon
people pushed the Britons back towards present-day Ireland and Scotland. This invasion continued through
the fifth century, and by the sixth century all the structure left by the Romans was in shambles. The
Germanic tribes had such an influence on the region that English is known as a Germanic language.
Christian Influence
The first Romans brought Christianity to the Britons, but after the Germanic invasion, the religion almost
completely died out. In 597 CE, Pope Gregory sent missionaries to the land to convert the people back to
Christianity. This happened without much resistance, but the pagan influence of the Germanic people can
still be seen today. For example, the holiday Easter is named after Germanic goddess Eastre.
At this time, the Latin alphabet was immediately incorporated into the language, since it is the alphabet of
Christianity. Before this time, not much was written down due to little opportunities for education. Now,
English began to be written down, and words from the Latin language became much more common. With
this, education strengthened and a sort of intellectual movement began. Before now, English had been
known as a lower-class language, but with education and writing, it grew to be respected.
The Viking Invasions
The next invading group was another Germanic group: the Vikings. These people came mostly from Danish
Vikings in 787 CE. The Vikings invaded from the north, began to work their way towards the heart of the
English society, and brought back a Germanic influence on English. Over a few hundred years of fighting
and changes in the throne, the Vikings were eventually defeated and an English king took control. However,
he died in 1066, which created a weakened kingdom. This would set the stage for the Norman invasion.
The Norman Invasion
Days after the king’s death, Duke William of Normandy, France, invaded and conquered the English land,
bringing in hundreds of years of French influence. The major impact of this historical event was the number
of loanwords, which are borrowed words, incorporated into the English tongue. The Normans occupied the
territory for over 300 years, but the lower classes were allowed to continue speaking their native English,
which declined throughout those years but was never fully replaced by French. Technically, France was not
ruling over England. Instead, England was still its own country, but with French rulers.