Spanish How To Speak

The English we speak today – Modern English – has only been around for about the last 200 years, but the full history of the English language is much older.

Most historians agree that the English language began sometime in the 5th century when a Germanic tribe called the Angles invaded the British Isles from Denmark. The names “England” and “English” both come from the name of this tribe.

Early English

The Angles and other Germanic tribes had been fighting and trading with the Roman Empire for many years before coming to the British Isles. Consequently, these Germanic tribes already used many Latin words including ‘camp, cheese, cook, pillow, street and wall’. However, Early English was still very different from the English language we speak today.

Here’s a short example from the famous poem Beowulf:

“Hwæt! Wē Gār-Dena in geārdagum, þēodcyninga, þrym gefrūnon, hū ðā æþelingas ellen fremedon. Oft Scyld Scēfing sceaþena þrēatum, monegum mǣgþum, meodosetla oftēah, egsode eorlas.”

Which translated to Modern English means:

“Lo, praise of the prowess of people-kings of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped, we have heard, and what honor the athelings (princes) won!”

The Angles’ Germanic language almost completely replaced the ‘Brythonic’ or Celtic languages – which only survived in places like Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Norse language of the Vikings who invaded the northeast of England also strongly influenced Old English.

Middle English

After Old English, the period of Middle English began with the Norman invasion in 1066. The Normans came from what is now France and brought with them an early French language. During this period, the nobility spoke this French-like language while the common people kept speaking the more Germanic form of English. However, over time, these two languages also merged with each other. But Middle English is still barely recognizable to English speakers of today.

Here’s a short example from the famous writer Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14 century:

“Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote And bathed every veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flour;”

As you can see, some words are understandable, but the spelling is quite different from the English we use today.

Early Modern and Modern English

Early Modern English began in the 15th century – around the time of Shakespeare. And still, even this form of English is not the same as Modern English. You might compare it to the difference between old Ottoman and Modern Turkish.

It wasn’t until the mid-18th century that the first standardized English dictionary was published and we started to use Modern English for communication. Around the same time, the British Empire began spreading all over the world – which brought English to many different lands. In the late 19th and 20th century, the United States also increased rapidly in economic and military strength – spreading English to nearly every country and establishing a truly global language.

The English Language today

Today, the English language no longer belongs to the British nor to the Americans. Instead, it belongs to the whole world – and we can decide what to do with it.

In my opinion, English is not a language of imperialism anymore. Because of the internet, almost anyone – anywhere can learn English. And because of English, anyone – anywhere has the ability to communicate with other people. Through communication and dialogue with many different people, I believe that greater understanding, tolerance and peace will eventually emerge.