1. A [brief] history of the English language
AP Language and Composition
Mr. O’Connor

2. To begin… What year was English as we know it today invented?
Who invented it?

3. To begin…
1066 A.D.
A bunch of Germans…
…and some French nobles.

4. Proto-English Late BC/Early AD:
Germanic tribes trade, fight, coexist with Roman Empire
Angles
Saxons
Jutes
Latin words begin to enter the language of the tribes
Wine
Cup
Bishop

5. The settlement of England
AD:
Germanic tribes invade and occupy
the area now known as England (Land
of the Angles)
Tribes intermingle with each other,
languages blended
600s AD:
Christianity gains popularity among tribes
Introduces more Latin words to the
language
priest
paper
School
The resultant language: Anglo-Saxon/Old English

6. A sample of Anglo-Saxon English…
Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum; Si þin nama gehalgod to becume þin rice gewurþe ðin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum. urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge ac alys us of yfele soþlice

7. …and a modern translation
Our Father, Who art in heaven Hallowed be Thy Name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

8. The invaders become the invaded
King William of Normandy (France)
crosses the English Channel
Battle of Hastings
October 14, 1066
William kills King Harold, the leader of the
Saxons
William and Normand nobles become ruling class, bring their language with them
Heavily influence by Latin and Greek
Commoners still speak English

9. Language finds a way
Despite being conquered, English adapted rather than be replaced
Many French words were assimilated into the language
Heavy on Latin and Greek Origins
Resulted in Middle English, which is much closer to what we speak today
Modern English came about in ~1550 with the rise of the English Empire
Anglo-Saxon
French
hamlet
village
town
city

10. A study in food Animal Food cow beef calf veal pig pork sheep mouton
chicken
turkey
rabbit

11. A study in food Anglo-Saxon French cow bouef calf veau pig porc sheep
mouton
chicken
turkey
rabbit

12. A study in food Even today, English reflects the social divide
Animals that were not commonly eaten in the region (chicken, turkey, rabbit) have the same word

13. Etymology (Word Origin)
SPEAK
Origin: before 900; Middle English speken, Old English specan,variant of sprecan; cognate with German 
sprechen (Old High German sprehhan; compare variant spehhan)
CONVERSE
Origin: ; Middle English conversen <Middle French converser < Latin conversārī to associate with.

14. Write a story Compose a one-paragraph story
Left side of the room: use at least ten Germanic words
Right side of the room: use at least ten Latinate words
Underline the words in each story

15. Wrap-up
What is the effect of favoring Germanic vs. Latinate/Greek words?
How can this inform your writing?