The History of the English Language Flashcards
What groups of people invaded Britain after 450 AD?
The Romans
What are the four different time periods of the development of the English language?
Old English
Middle English
Early Modern English
Present-Day English
What language did the Roman invaders speak?
Dialects of a Teutonic or Germanic language
What is the best known epic poem written in old English?
Beowulf
What invasion began what is known as the Middle English Period?
The Normans
What language did the Norman invaders bring?
Norman French
What major affect did the Norman’s have on the English Language?
Norman French and Old English blended together and is now called Middle English
Synonyms
What institutions used this language (Norman French) ?
Religion, art, government, literature, court, and culture
What famous piece of literature was written in the Middle English period by Geoffry Chaucer?
The Canterbury Tales
Who was William Caxton and why is he so important to the development of the English Language as a whole?
Imported and operated first printing press in England
What event helped establish linguistic norms, standardize spelling and create a much larger body or literate people?
The printing of words/spelling
How did writers spell before this phenomenon?
Phonetically
What famous author borrowed words (in the Early Modern English period) from other languages which made a significant impact on the English language?
Shakespeare
Where did many words come from that were added to the English language after 1505?
Latin and Greek
What is formal language?
A language designed for use in situations in which natural language is unsuitable
