1 BGU ''B'' Origin and evolution of english

 

PROJECT

Origin and Evolution of English

Origin.

The origin starts when the germanic tribes started to invade England during in the 5th century The Angles, Saxons and Jutes, coming from northern Germany and Denmark, brought with them Germanic languages that gave rise to the earliest forms of English. These peoples settled over much of what is now known as England and displaced the Celtic languages already spoken in the region.  During this period, Latin also exerted some influenced due to the Roman occupation that preceded the arrival of these Germanic tribes, although that influence was minimal compared to later developments.

 

The minor source for the culture of the Germanic peoples is the work Germania by the Roman historian Tacitus. Some Germanic troops such as the coastal Saxons under Roman command served in Britain, and it seems fairly certain that Germanic settlement in Britain did not intensify until the arrival of the fifth-century mercenaries described by Gildas.

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, around 449, the king of the Britons invited the coalition of Angles, Saxons and Jutes to help him against the Picts. On returning from the war, the Angles would have received lands south of England and subsequently the heptarchy would be established, although these theories are now regarded as legendary and it is not accepted to identify the tribes with the Angles, Saxons and Jutes, especially as the Anglo-Saxon language is more similar to Frisian than the others.

                                                       

EVOLUTION

Old English

Old English was not static, and its use spanned a period of 700 years, from the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain in the 5th century to the end of the 11th century, some time after the Norman invasion. Perhaps 85% of Old English words are no longer in use, but those that have survived are the basic building blocks of modern English vocabulary, the words be, strong, and water, for example, derive from Old English. The grammar included grammatical case (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative and instrumental), three grammatical genders (masculine, feminine and neuter) and three numerals (singular, dual and plural).

 

Over the centuries, Old English also absorbed influences from Latin, due to the introduction of Christianity, and from Old Norse, due to the Viking presence in England. These interactions led to the incorporation of many new words and morphological simplifications, such as the reduction of the case and gender system. Although the best-known literary works from this period are few, one of the most important is the epic poem Beowulf.

                                                      

 

Middle English

Middle English covers the period from the 12th century to the 15th century, after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. As the Norman invaders integrated, Old English began to mix with Anglo-Norman, ushering in a period of transition to Middle English. This transformation included greater dialectal variation, as the political and cultural power of the West Saxons had waned, leaving room for a mixture of regional dialects in literature and writing.

 

Throughout the 14th century, Middle English gained social and political prestige, gradually replacing French and Latin in administration and the courts. Middle English literature began to flourish, with important works such as William Lang's Piers Plowman, The Canterbury Tales, and The Canterbury Talesby Geoff

                        

      

Modern English

Modern English began to emerge in the 16th century with the introduction of the printing press in England and the influence of the Renaissance. This period marked significant changes in pronunciation, grammar and spelling, particularly due to the Great Vowel Shift, which altered the pronunciation of many English vowels. However, spelling did not adapt at the same pace, resulting in many of the peculiarities of today's English. The language also expanded its vocabulary considerably, incorporating many Latin and Greek terms, particularly in science, philosophy,

 

In the 18th century, English began to standardize with the publication of grammars and dictionaries, such as Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language in 1755. This period also saw the global spread of English, facilitated by colonization and trade. Early modern English, as seen in the works of William Shakespeare, reflects a vibrant language enriched with new words and experiences.

                      

 

Researched by:

·       Salazar Joshue

·       Ortiz Evelyng

·       Ruiz Emily

·       Punin Julitzap

·       Alay Maximiliano