Download The Formation of the English Language

The Formation of the
English Language
Ms. Mathews
English 10H
“The making of English is the
story of four invasions and a
cultural revolution.”

The language in its simplest form was
brought to Britain by Germanic tribes:
◦
◦
◦
◦
The
The
The
The
Angles
Saxons
Frisians
Jutes

The language was influenced by Latin and
Greek when St. Augustine and his followers
converted England to Christianity

The language was subtly enriched by the
Danes after their invasion

The language was transformed by the
French-speaking Normans after their invasion
The Celts inhabited the British Isles.
 The Celtic Britons had the misfortune to
inhabit an island that was highly desirable
both for its agriculture and minerals.
 People started to invade…

Before all of this…
In 55 B.C., Julius Caesar and his legions
invaded Britain.
 In order to keep the British tribes in
check, they built Hadrian’s Wall.
 In A.D. 410, the Roman Empire collapsed
and the Roman troops left Britain.
 Other people began to turn their intention
to Britain.

Invasion #1: The Romans



In 449 A.D., the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes sailed
across the North Sea from Denmark and
Germany.
Native tribes (led perhaps by King Arthur)
fought against the Germanic tribes
Eventually, the Germanic tribes were
driven westward by the Anglo-Saxon
warriors.
Invasion #2: Anglo-Saxons
 When
the Anglo-Saxons landed
on the shores of Britain, they
introduced the island to the
English language.
 We
refer to this language as Old
English.
Anglo-Saxon influence on
language

Anglo-Saxons settled down and began
farming:
◦ Sheep, shepherd, ox, earth, plough, swine,
dog, wood, field, and work are words of AngloSaxon origin

The 100 most common words in modern
English are of Anglo-Saxon origin.
◦ The, is, you, me, my, etc.
Anglo-Saxon influence on
language, continued…

Anglo-Saxons relied on
speech because theirs was
an oral culture.

They loved riddles,
ambiguity, word-play, etc.
Anglo-Saxon attitude towards
language

I’m told a certain object grows in the
corner, rises and expands, throws up a
crust. A proud wife carried off that
boneless wonder, the daughter of a King
covered that swollen thing with a cloth.

Answer…
Can you figure out this riddle?
DOUGH
In 597 A.D., St. Augustine and his
followers traveled to Britain to convert the
Anglo-Saxons
 Though the Anglo-Saxons were known to
be savage, the conversion was
peaceful…no bloodshed, no martyrs
 The Anglo-Saxons built churches and
monasteries

A Cultural Revolution:
Christianity

With the conversion, Anglo-Saxons were
introduced to more than 400 new words
(Latin and Greek in origin)

Many are still here today:
◦ angel, disciple, litany, martyr, mass, relic, etc.
Christianity influenced the
English language…

Between 750 and 1050 A.D.,
Scandinavian people moved all over
Europe, plundering, conquering, and
settling different lands.

In A.D. 793, they
came to Britain…
Invasion #3: The Vikings

They plundered the monasteries of Jarrow
and Lindisfarne.

By the middle of the ninth century, almost
half the country was in Viking hands.

The Vikings went after the jewel of the
island…Wessex
Viking Invasion, continued...

The king of Wessex, a young man named
Alfred, successfully maintained control of
one part of Britain.

When he saved Wessex, he saved the
English language.
Viking Invasion, continued...

King Alfred worked to restore his
kingdom.

He rebuilt monasteries and schools.

He used English as a basis for education.
Alfred the Great

Since Danes and Saxons lived side by
side, their languages fused so they could
communicate. (Beowulf demonstrates this
change)

During this time period, the language was
simplified also for the purpose of
communication.
Influence of the Viking
invasion on the English
language…

In 1066, the Normans invaded Britain,
changing the English language forever.

Normans seized control over everything,
churches, court, etc.

French was spoken everywhere.
Invasion #4: The Normans

Although French was spoken at court, in
law, etc., the English people kept their
own language alive orally.

English survived because…
◦ It was well established
◦ Normans began to marry the English
◦ There were more English than Normans
Norman Invasion, continued…

The Normans increased the Anglo-Saxon
vocabulary. Many synonyms began to
appear. While the Anglo-Saxons only had
“kingly” to describe a ruler, the Normans
added “royal”, “regal” and “sovereign.”

The Normans gave the Anglo-Saxons the
opportunity to make distinctions and
adjust meaning through language.
Influence of the Norman
Invasion on English…