3 HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
• THE OLDEST HISTORY
The Pre-Celtic civilisation, The Celtic civilisation, Roman Britain
• OLD ENGLISH
The Germanic Period, Viking Age
• MIDDLE ENGLISH
The Battle of Hastings, the Normans, the Anglo-Saxons, French,
Geoffrey Chaucer, Henry VI
• MODERN ENGLISH
centralisation, the Tudors
3 HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
THE OLDEST HISTORY
1 The Pre-Celtic civilisation:
- Iberians – Mediterranean countries (between 3000 and 2000 BC)
- prehistorical documents (Stonehenge)
- no influence of the further development of language
2 The Celtic civilisation:
- tribes: the Gaels & the Britons (North-Western Germany)
- during the 6th – 2nd ct. BC
- place names (cca 24: Avon, Thames, London, Dover, Glen-, Loch, etc.)
3 Roman Britain
- Roman colony (end 1st ct. – early 5th ct. AD), the Great Roman Empire
- lasting impression on British culture and society
(cities, public roads/baths/monuments, theatres, etc)
- Latin origin words – cca 200: capital, Chester (fortified camp, Roman town), plant (plante),
candle (candel), wall (vallum), street (via strata) etc.
- no Latinisation of the country
3 HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
OLD ENGLISH (600 – 1100)
1 The Germanic Period (6th – 9th ct.)
Angles, Saxons, Jutes
the 5th ct., Low German dialects
Old English speech – heterogeneous (different G. tribes, regional dialects)
e.g.: Oak-, -borough (fortified place), -don (hill)
2 Viking Age (800 – 1066 AD, Viking, ON = a pirate raid)
Scandinavians: Denmark, Norway, Sweden
793 Viking Age of Invasion, 870s the Danes – Northern England
1066 The Norman Conquest = end of the Viking era
words of Scandinavian origin: e.g., THEY, fellow, take, hunting, husband, sky, anger,
dirt, egg, fog, happy, reindeer, silver, sister, smile, Thursday, want, etc.
Sc. family names: Davidson, Jackson, Henderson, etc.
duplication of words (etymol. dublets): e.g. ON dike, sick, skill vs. OE ditch, ill, craft
3 HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
MIDDLE ENGLISH (1100 – 1500)
• The Battle of Hastings – the Norman Conquest
• Normans – spoke French, English speaking population – Old English
• Two level society (French/Anglo-Saxon) + following examples (see below)
• Later: the Normans allied with the Anglo-Saxon English (Engl. mixed with Fr. w.)
• Late 14th/early 15th ct. English – official language
• Geoffrey Chaucer/Cantenbury Tales established written London English as a base
for a new national literary Standard English.
• written dialect standardized (reign Henry VI)
Chancery English – new official language
Two level society (French/Anglo Saxon)
Nobility – English/French
• beef/boef
• veal/veau
• pork/porc
• mutton/mouton
• lamb/venison
Peasant – English/German
• cow/Kuh
• calf/Kalb
• swine/Schweine
• sheep/Shöps
• lamb/Lamb
3 HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
MODERN ENGLISH
- centralisation of the state under the reign of Tutors
- strengthening of political and economic unity in England