Old English

hree English Periods
Old English
Middle English
Modern English
Early Modern English
Late Modern English
T

ld English
Descendant of the German language
Spoken by Angles and Saxons
HISTORY
5th Century AD: Angles and Saxons (Germanic tribes) invaded the Britain
Reunited, became Anglo-Saxons
Their language is Englisc, which was where the word English originated
Circa 890 AD: Anglo-Saxons invaded a land
Called it Anglo-Land (now called England), meaning Land of the Angles
O

MIGRATION
Irish missionaries came to England
Brought the Latin alphabet
ROMAN INVASION
597 AD: Roman invader Augustine attempted to Christianize England
Established kingdoms all over England
RESULTS
The Latin alphabet became the basis of English alphabet
Romans spread and popularized English throughout England

CHANGES IN OLD ENGLISH
æ
Pronounced as ai
Changed to e
Example: næver is now spelled never
Feminine/Masculine word form dropped
Indefinite articles, a and an were introduced
Verb placement
755 AD: verb is placed at the end of a sentence
∂at he… na justise ne dide
Translation: that he no justice did (Nielsen 203)
1137: verb is placed after the pronoun
til hi iafen up here castles
Translation: till they surrendered their castles (Nielsen 203)

iddle English
(1100-1500)
HISTORY
The Normans, who spoke French, invaded England
Royalties and government officials began speaking French
English became language of the poor (peasants, butchers, maids, servants)
Also the language of poets and writers
English kings began marrying Norman women
More people adapted French language, causing the decline of English usage
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RESULTS
English children became bilingual
Materials written in English became very scarce
Many French words were borrowed
tax, estate, trouble, duty, pay, table, boil, serve, roast, dine, religion, savior, pray, and trinity
French was England’s official language up until the beginning of 14th century

French words in English
Baron, count, courtier, duchess, duke, marchioness, marquis, noble, peer
Appetite, beef, biscuit, confection, plate, raisin, supper, treacle, veal, vinegar
Ambush, army, battle, enemy, garrison, lieutenant, moat, peace, sergeant
By heart, come to a head, have mercy on hold one’s peace, take leave

Words from Other Languages
Latin: Alias, homicide, diocese, mediator, scripture, lucrative, tolerance
Netherlands: poll, skipper
Spanish: cork, savvy
Portuguese: marmalade
Arabic: saffron, admiral, mattress, algebra, alkali, zenith
Persian: chess, rook, checkmate

CHANGES
Three different words with one meaning
kingly (Old English), royal (French), and regal (Latin). meaning of “relating to a king”
More French Influence
More borrowed words
Borrowed words, cellar and place affected the way c was pronounced
Cene, cyssan, and cneow (Old English)
Lice and mice

odern English
(1500- PRESENT)
TWO TYPES
Early Modern English
From 1500 to 1800s
Late modern English
1800s until today
M

E
arly Modern English
Great Vowel Shift
Happened between 1400 and 1500
Sudden and major change how vowels are pronounced
a is pronounced as /ei/
e as /ei/ and/or /i/
i as /ai/
o as /ou/or /u/
and u as /au/

CHANGES AND DIFFICULTIES
Many English words are not pronounced as they used to be
A person born in 1400 would have difficulty understanding a person from the 1500s
Very careful listening and analysis of written documents were done for better understanding
Example: House and mouse used to rhyme with moose

OTHER FACTORS THAT CHANGED EARLY MODERN ENGLISH
William Shakespeare
Began writing his sonnets and novels
Created words, such as critical, leapfrog, majestic, pedant, and dwindle
Created clichés, such as flesh and blood, and vanish into thin air
William Caxton
Introduced the printing press to England in 1476
Began printing English textbooks
Were sold at cheap prices
English grammar, spelling, and vocabulary were standardized
1604: dictionary was published

ate Modern English
Began in the 1800s and is the English that we speak today
Same as Early Modern English, but has richer vocabulary
BRITISH EMPIRE
Colonized many nations
Words were borrowed (i.e. pajamas and shampoo from Hindi, tycoon from Japanese, and sauna from Finnish) and added to the English vocabulary
Other words have Latin or Greek roots (i.e. biology, oxygen)
World War I and World War II
American soldiers collaborated with British soldiers
Military slang words were created
blockbuster, nosedive, camouflage, radar, roadblock, spearhead, and landing strip
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EXAMPLES OF TEXTS WRITTEN DURING DIFFERENT ENGLISH PERIODS

Beowulf
Originally written in Old English

Ða wæs on burgum Beowulf Scyldinga,
leof leodcyning, longe þrage
55 folcum gefræge (fæder ellor hwearf, aldor of earde), oþþæt him eft onwoc heah Healfdene; heold þenden lifde, gamol ond guðreouw, glæde Scyldingas. ðæm feower bearn forð gerimed
60 in worold wocun, weoroda ræswan, Heorogar ond Hroðgar ond Halga til; hyrde ic þæt wæs Onelan cwen, Heaðoscilfingas healsgebedda. þa wæs Hroðgare heresped gyfen,
65 wiges weorðmynd, þæt him his winemagas georne hyrdon, oðð þæt seo geogoð geweox, magodriht micel. Him on mod bearn þæt healreced hatan wolde, medoærn micel, men gewyrcean
70 þonne yldo bearn æfre gefrunon, ond þær on innan eall gedælan geongum ond ealdum, swylc him god sealde, buton folcscare ond feorum gumena. ða ic wide gefrægn weorc gebannan
75 manigre mægþe geond þisne middangeard, folcstede frætwan. Him on fyrste gelomp, ædre mid yldum, þæt hit wearð ealgearo, healærna mæst; scop him Heort naman se þe his wordes geweald wide hæfde.
80 He beot ne aleh, beagas dælde, sinc æt symle. Sele hlifade, heah ond horngeap, heaðowylma bad, laðan liges; ne wæs hit lenge þa gen þæt se ecghete aþumsweorum
85 æfter wælniðe wæcnan scolde. ða se ellengæst earfoðlice þrage geþolode, se þe in þystrum bad, þæt he dogora gehwam dream gehyrde hludne in healle; þær wæs hearpan sweg,
90 swutol sang scopes. Sægde se þe cuþe frumsceaft fira feorran reccan, cwæð þæt se ælmihtiga eorðan worhte, wlitebeorhtne wang, swa wæter bebugeð, gesette sigehreþig sunnan ond monan
95 leoman to leohte landbuendum ond gefrætwade foldan sceatas leomum ond leafum, lif eac gesceop cynna gehwylcum þara ðe cwice hwyrfaþ. Swa ða drihtguman dreamum lifdon
100 eadiglice, oððæt an ongan fyrene fremman feond on helle. Wæs se grimma gæst Grendel haten, mære mearcstapa, se þe moras heold, fen ond fæsten; fifelcynnes eard
105 wonsæli wer weardode hwile, siþðan him scyppend forscrifen hæfde in Caines cynne. þone cwealm gewræc ece drihten, þæs þe he Abel slog; ne gefeah he þære fæhðe, ac he hine feor forwræc,
110 metod for þy mane, mancynne fram. þanon untydras ealle onwocon, eotenas ond ylfe ond orcneas, swylce gigantas, þa wið gode wunnon lange þrage; he him ðæs lean forgeald.

Beowulf
Translation

Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings,
leader beloved, and long he ruled in fame with all folk, since his father had goneaway from the world, till awoke an heir, haughty Healfdene, who held through life, sage and sturdy, the Scyldings glad.
Then, one after one, there woke to him,
to the chieftain of clansmen, children four:
Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave;
and I heard that -- was --'s queen, the Heathoscylfing's helpmate dear.
To Hrothgar was given such glory of war,
such honor of combat, that all his kin obeyed him gladly till great grew his band of youthful comrades. It came in his mind to bid his henchmen a hall uprear, a master mead-house, mightier far than ever was seen by the sons of earth, and within it, then, to old and young he would all allot that the Lord had sent him, save only the land and the lives of his men.
Wide, I heard, was the work commanded, for many a tribe this mid-earth round, to fashion the folkstead. It fell, as he ordered, in rapid achievement that ready it stood there, of halls the noblest: Heorot he named it whose message had might in many a land.
Not reckless of promise, the rings he dealt,
treasure at banquet: there towered the hall,
high, gabled wide, the hot surge waiting of furious flame.
Nor far was that day when father and son-in-law stood in feud for warfare and hatred that woke again.
With envy and anger an evil spirit endured the dole in his dark abode, that he heard each day the din of revel high in the hall: there harps rang out, clear song of the singer. He sang who knew tales of the early time of man, how the Almighty made the earth, fairest fields enfolded by water, set, triumphant, sun and moon for a light to lighten the land-dwellers,
and braided bright the breast of earth with limbs and leaves, made life for all of mortal beings that breathe and move.
So lived the clansmen in cheer and revel a winsome life, till one began to fashion evils, that field of hell.
Grendel this monster grim was called, march-riever mighty, in moorland living, in fen and fastness; fief of the giants the hapless wight a while had kept since the Creator his exile doomed.
On kin of Cain was the killing avenged by sovran God for slaughtered Abel.
Ill fared his feud,6 and far was he driven, for the slaughter's sake, from sight of men.
Of Cain awoke all that woful breed, Ettins and elves and evil-spirits, as well as the giants that warred with God weary while: but their wage was paid them!

Sir Gawain and the
Green Knight
Originally written in Middle English
Written by an Anonymous person
First published in 1925

Passus I
SIÞEN þe sege and þe assaut watz sesed at Troye, Þe bor brittened and brent to bronde and askez, Þe tulk þat þe trammes of tresoun þer wrot
Watz tried for his tricherie, þe trewest on erthe: Hit watz Ennias þe athel, and his highe kynde, Þat siþen depreced prouinces, and patrounes bicome Welnee of al þe wele in þe west iles.
Fro riche Romulus to Rome ricchis hym swyþe,
With gret bobbaunce þat bure he biges vpon fyrst,
And neuenes hit his aune nome, as hit now hat;
Tirius to Tuskan and teldes bigynnes,
Langaberde in Lumbardie lyftes vp homes,
And fer ouer þe French flod Felix Brutus
On mony bonkkes ful brode Bretayn he settez wyth wynne,
Where werre and wrake and wonder
Bi syþez hatz wont þerinne,
And oft boþe blysse and blunder
Ful skete hatz skyfted synne.
Ande quen þis Bretayn watz bigged bi þis burn rych,
Bolde bredden þerinne, baret þat lofden,
In mony turned tyme tene þat wroten.
Mo ferlyes on þis folde han fallen here oft
Þen in any oþer þat I wot, syn þat ilk tyme.
Bot of alle þat here bult, of Bretaygne kynges,
Ay watz Arthur þe hendest, as I haf herde telle.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Translation