English

For information on the language and structure, go to Modern English.
English is a Germanic language, serving basically as the lingua franca over much of the world; the most notable English-speaking countries are the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

Stages of English

There are 3 primary stages of English. A fourth, is a brief period of transition time between Middle English and Modern English, known as Early Modern English. They are as follows:
Anglo-Saxon (also known as Old English)
Middle English
Early Modern English
Modern English

The Dates of the Changes

The Anglo-Saxon language formed from invading groups of Angles and Saxons from Northern Germany to England. It was also affected by the Celtic languages around it, and from a heavy Old Norse influx from invading Danish Vikings.

The start of the Middle English era is marked by the battle of Hastings in 1066. The French Normans (originally Vikings who were given land and gold in to protect France from other Vikings, Norman = North man) lead by William the Conqueror won the battle and took over the island from there. The Norman French version of Old French was not the "proper" French of the time, but much of the Old Norse influence was replaced by the French vocabulary. Quite a bit of it mixed with the Anglo-Saxon language and eventually Middle English emerged.

The Early Modern English period is marked by the Great Vowel Shift. This is the primary sound shift that separates the dialects of Modern English to those of the Middle and Old English eras. There were other sound shifts, but that was the primary and most important one. Shakespeare is one of the more well known writers in this era. This era also preserved forms such as the informal pronoun and many forms of the subjunctive.

English's Spread

English was spread by the colonisation by the British Empire. The Thirteen Colonies of America, Australia, India, and others were colonised by Britain and became primarily English speaking. The colonies eventually became the United States, and Australia, after many years of being a penal colony, had too gained independence. India also did so, many years later. Canada was originally a French colony that was won during the French and Indian war by the British, and English became an important language in the country. Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall, which were originally Celtic speaking were conquered by Anglo-Saxon or Norman French peoples and were eventually assimilated. Although there are still Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, and Cornish speakers today, almost all can speak a dialect of English. After the United States had been established as an International power (after World War II), the spread of English grew even more than it had before. Today, English is the most spoken First and Second language in the world, mostly because of China's teaching it to most children in schools. It has also become a powerful Lingua Franca throughout the world.

Languages based on English

Creoles and natural descendants

• Tok Pisin
• Scots
• Hawai'ian Creole, also known as Hawai'ian Pidgin
• Spanglish
• Gullah

Constructed languages

• Volapük (with other sources)

Sources

Page written by Timothy Patrick Snyder.

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