Events that Shaped English

The angelo-saxons

When?:

Before the 9th. century

Why?: 

Scandinavian invaders came to the British isles in the middle of the 9th century.

How?:

You can trace them in words like you, is the and that.

1066 and after

When?:

The battle of Hastings in 1066

Why?:

William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinson. Old English broke down and Middle English became quite similar.

How?:

About 10 000 loanwords from the French ruling class and elite.

Scandinavian Settlement

When?:

Scandinavian invader came to Britain in the middle of the 9th century.

Why?:

They invaded Britain and Norse had a great influence on English.

How?:

Both Norse and English were very similar, because they were both Germanic languages. Basic words such as “take” and “they” are borrowed from Norse.

Standardization

When?:

The late medieval and early modern periods.

Why?:

London English became associated with knowledge and spelling became standardized. In addition, the pronunciation occurred.

How?:

The Middle English changed so that the Modern English became reality.

Colonization and Globalization

When?:

When the colonization started and the globalization is ongoing right now.

Why?:

All the colonies spread all over the world made English a global language.

How?:

English is today a world-spoken language. Probably the most widely spoken and it’s a very important language as either first or secondary language.