4 Eras of English Language
As we know the fact that the English language belongs to the Indo-European family and in this sense it has a distant relationship with Urdu, Hindi, Persian etc.
In this article, we will discuss the modern history of the English language. In the 5th and 6th centuries, the Angles and Saxons invaded the British Isles from the north, pushing Celtic-speaking natives to Scotland, Ireland and Wales. (Just as the Aryans pushed the natives of India to the south.)
In the eighth and ninth centuries, the Vikings and Norse tribes began to invade from the north, and the area of present-day England became a hotbed of speakers of many languages, and many old words found new meanings, such as Dream. It was meant to be ‘fun’ but the Vikings of the North gave it the meaning of ‘dream’.
Dates of important events
- 55 BC – The Romans invade Britain under Julius Caesar.
- 449 AD – Anglo Saxon colonies are formed in Britain.
- 792 – Vikings set up camp in Britain.
- 1066 – Norman invasion of Britain
- 1348 – British English replaces older English.
- 1362 – English is used for the first time in Parliament.
- 1388 – Chaucer begins writing the Canterbury Tales.
- 1564 – Birth of Shakespeare.
- 1828 – Publishing of Webster’s Dictionary.
- 1922 – The BBC appears.
- 1928 – Publishing of The Oxford English Dictionary.
Similarly, the word skirt also came here with the northern invaders but its shape changed to “shirt”. The two words later became used interchangeably and continue to this day.
The period from 500 to 1100 is called the Old English or Old English period.
In 1066, the Duke of Normandy invaded England and conquered the Anglo-Saxon tribes. Thus the words of the old French language began to be incorporated into the local language.
This period of English lasted from 1100 to 1500 and is called Middle English.
Many English words related to law and crime were coined during this period. Chaucer’s poetry is considered an important example of this language in English literature.
Modern Era of English Language
The modern English era begins after 1500 when the Renaissance revived the ancient Greek sciences and arts, and Greek words found their way into English.
This period begins with a great name like Shakespeare and this period lasts till 1800 AD. The period after 1800 is called the modern era of English, in which the grammar of English has become simpler and included many words from the languages of the British Asian and African colonies.
Due to the growing importance of the United States in global politics, economy, and trade, American English has also gained a special place.
Simplicity of spelling and straightforward and straightforward manner of speaking are the hallmarks of American English.