Historical Linguistics The History of the English Language

Beowulf (1000 AD?) Old English Modern English Translation HWÆT! WË GÄRDEna in geärdagum, þëodcyninga þrym gefrünon, hü ðä æþelingas ellen fremedon! Oft Scyld Scëfing sceaþena þrëatum, onegum mågþum, meodosetla oftëah, egsode eorl, syððan årest wearð fëasceaft funden. Hë þæs fröfre gebäd, wëox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þäh, oðþæt him åghwylc þära ymbsittendra 10 ofer hronräde hÿran scolde, gomban gyldan. Þæt wæs göd cyning! Listen! We have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes' people-kings in bygone days, how then the princes performed deeds of strength! Oft Scyld Scefing took mead-benches away from troops of enemies, from many tribes; the warrior was terrifying, after he was first found helpless. He met with consolation for that, grew under the clouds; throve in honour, until each of the neighbours across the whale-road had to obey him, pay tribute. That was a good king!

The Canterbury Tales Prologue by Geoffrey Chaucer (1380-1392) Middle English Modern English Translation 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, Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Hath in the Ram his halve cours yronne, And smale foweles maken melodye, That slepen al the nyght with open ye (so priketh hem Nature in hir corages), Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages, And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes, To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes; And specially from every shires ende Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende, The hooly blisful martir for to seke, That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke When April with his showers sweet with fruit The drought of March has pierced unto the root And bathed each vein with liquor that has power To generate therein and sire the flower; When Zephyr also has, with his sweet breath, Quickened again, in every holt and heath, The tender shoots and buds, and the young sun Into the Ram one half his course has run, And many little birds make melody That sleep through all the night with open eye (So Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage)- Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage, And palmers to go seeking out strange strands, To distant shrines well known in sundry lands. And specially from every shire's end Of England they to Canterbury wend, The holy blessed martyr there to seek Who helped them when they lay so ill and weak.

Pre-Old English Britain originally populated by Britons (Celts) Spoke languages from the Celtic family: Cornish, Pictish, Welsh, Celtic

Pre-Old English

Pre-Old English

Pre-Old English 43 AD: Britain conquered by Romans 43 AD – 500 AD: Britons fight back, driving out last Roman legions by 410 AD.

Old English Britain invaded by Germanic tribes Northern Germany, Denmark, Southern Scandanavia, Eastern Europe Conquered by Germanic tribes by 400 AD Different Germanic dialects merge to create Old English, or Anglo-Saxon Probably sounded most like modern Friesian (a dialect of Dutch)

Old English

Old English 597: Christianity to Britain 700s 865: Viking control Latin vs. Anglo-Saxon Bede Beowulf Viking invasions 865: Viking control 878: King Alfred Christianity brought to Britain by Roman missionaries in 597 AD Brought some Latin words and Latin grammar 700s Powerful people and religious people spoke Latin, and common people spoke Anglo-Saxon Bede (a monk) wrote the history of English-speaking peoples (in Latin) Bede kept an enormous library of written Anglo-Saxon Beowulf Developed 600-800 AD Memorized and retold (sung) by storytellers across British countryside Shows that English was subtle enough to convey the subtleties and scope of the human experience Viking invasions (from Scandinavia) brought Old Norse language Destroyed Bede’s library Burned most written Anglo-Saxon By 865, Vikings controlled most of Britain Old Norse threatened to take over Anglo-Saxon like Anglo-Saxon had taken over Celtic 878 AD King Alfred the Great fights back against Vikings and saves the Anglo-Saxon language Vikings and British start to do business together, marry each other Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse begin to merge

Old English

Old English How did Old Norse change Anglo-Saxon? New words Changed words New phonemes Two words for the same thing Grammar Syntax change (36:00) Latin’s decline Religious texts How did Old Norse change Anglo-Saxon? Added new words: window, knife, they, their them Changed some words Added /sk/ sound Introduced new words for the same thing. These words live on in modern English Skin (Norse) / Hide (Anglo-Saxon) Ill (Norse) / Sick (Anglo-Saxon) Skill (Norse) / Craft (Anglo-Saxon) Simplified rules of English grammar Made English less Germanic Used word order instead of inflections Introduced prepositions instead of word endings Syntax change (36:00) Latin declined into nonexistence in England Latin was the language of religion and scholarship People started losing touch with religion and history King Alfred wanted to save souls and maintain Christianity in England Commissioned religious and historical texts in Old English so people could read them  we have written records of Old English

Old English 1066 AD: The Battle of Hastings French “invades” English Governing system Language of power 1066 AD: The Battle of Hastings King of England: King Edward Edward considered William (a duke in France) to be his heir Kind Edward died Queen’s brother Harold crowns himself King William invades England Harold and William fight at the Battle of Hastings Harold dies, William the Conqueror becomes King William the Conqueror spoke Old French (Latin roots) William put allies in power—most spoke French Adapted a more French governing system (more centralized, less tribal) Governing and aristocratic class became French speakers French became the language of power French used in military, justice, government, business / banking

Old English becomes Middle English New French words added to English lexicon Military words Enemi, castel, armee, archier, soudier, garison, garde Words for new social order corune, trone, cort, duc, baron, nobilite, paisant, servant, governer, liberte, autorite, obedience, traitre, serf, labourer Words associated with courts felonie, arester, warant, justise, juge, juree, acuser, aquiter, sentence, condemner, prisun, gaiole 1066 – 1300 AD About 10,000 words enter English French and Latin are official languages of state, law, aristocracy, business, religion, scholarship, history English unprestigious language of common people

Old English becomes Middle English Explains why we sometimes have two words for the same thing. Example: English speakers grew the food and French speakers ate it: Old English Old French Turkey, chicken Poultry Cow Beef (Beouf) Deer Venison Pig Pork (porc)