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About half of the most commonly used words in Modern English have Old English roots. The words: be, strong, and water, are derived from Old English.
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Three Germanic tribes invade Britain and bring over their similar language which developed into Old English
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St. Augustine and Irish missionaries set out to convert Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. New religious words are borrowed from Latin and Greek.
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After Alfred the Great brought the Anglo-Saxons victory over the Vikings, he then translates Latin works into English.
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The only surviving documentation of Old English was written by an anonymous poet.
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The Duke of Normandy conquered England and brought a type of French that ended up being spoken by the Royal Court, and the ruling and business classes. There was even a bit of time where the division in the higher class of people spoke French and the lower classes spoke English. -
In the 14th century English became dominant in Britain again, but with many French words added. Some of the common words used were: al be that, everich, and forthy.
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When Henry II takes control of Ireland, English is introduced to the country.
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Scholars from Oxford form the University of Cambridge.
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English becomes the dominant language under Edward I
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This results in English becoming the official language of law courts and replaces Latin in schools.
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The printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenburg. This invention was a large part of the spread of the English language. -
The Great Vowel Shift started which resulted in the pronunciation of vowels becoming shorter. A couple of phrases from Shakespear: One fell swoop, vanish into thin air, flesh and blood.
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The first English settlements are built in North America by Christopher Columbus.
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The First Folio is considered to be the most reliable source of Shakespeare's language.
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The 1700s had a lot of revelations in the English language. There were a number of dictionaries, English grammar books, first novels, and even the signing of the Declaration of Independence which set English as the primary language.
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Pronunciation of the spelling of words became much more concrete in English. Some of the common words of the 21st century are bet, cap, and fosho.
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When America gained independence from England Noah Webster created America's first English dictionary so America could look to America for linguistic assistance.
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Samuel Morse invents the Telegraph. This caused a rapid spread of communication and was a major influence on the usage of English. -
Over 20 volumes that encompass the English language.