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 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.
Languages based on English
Creoles and natural descendants
Constructed languages
- Volapük (with other sources)
