The Origins of the English Language

Christian Era

Western EuropeWestern Europe Celtic-Speaking

South

Germanic-Speaking North

The linguistic geography of Europe

Britain and

Ireland

Colonized by different groups of Celtic speakers

Latin

They moved into Roman territory

Latin spread through

Modern Italy

Spain

Portugal

Most of Britain

France

Germany

The Roman Empire collapses

Latin disappears on the periphery

Including

Africa

South Germany

Britain

Latin survives in the central areas

of Continental Europe

At the beginning of the Christian

Era

At the beginning of the Christian

EraGermanics lived in Northern Europe

German Mix of dialects in South Denmark

North Sea coast dialects

Weser/Rhine dialects

Dutch and

Flemish

Coastal dialects

Denmark and Norway dialects

Weser/Rhine dialects

English

Contact between tribal groups led to mutual influence

Germanic mercenaries were recruited into the

Roman army

Germanic mercenaries were recruited into the

Roman army

Most of them gave up their language to adopt Latin

Most of them gave up their language to adopt Latin

The Franks spread up the

Rhine and across the

border into the empire

Burgundians crossed into Gaul to settle the duchy of

Burgundy

Burgundians crossed into Gaul to settle the duchy of

Burgundy

The Alemanns migrated through what is now Eastern France

The Alemanns migrated through what is now Eastern France

The Saxon Shore

The Saxon Shore

Places where the Saxons settled

NORTHERN GROUP

They crossed the Sound to Denmark

To eastern coast of England

And to the mouth of the Seine

NORTHERN GROUPIn the Viking Age

Faeroe Islands

Iceland

They founded Dublin

Language in Britain

Celtic LanguagesCeltic Languages

Welsh Welsh Irish Irish Scots GaelicScots Gaelic

Julius Caesar(55 BC)

Julius Caesar(55 BC)

Roman army takes 2/3 of BritainRoman army takes 2/3 of Britain

Latin is introduced as the language of the forcesLatin is introduced as the language of the forces

Hadrian’s Wall (legion from Romania)Hadrian’s Wall (legion from Romania)

Lancaster occupied by a legion from GaulLancaster occupied by a legion from Gaul

Roman forces are withdrawn in early

5th Century

Roman forces are withdrawn in early

5th Century

The Anglo-Saxons cross the North Sea and settle on the East and

South coasts of Britain

The Anglo-Saxons cross the North Sea and settle on the East and

South coasts of Britain

Early 9th Century

From Edinburgh across the West coast to the Humber

From Offa’s dyke to East

Anglia

To the north from the Mersey to the Humber

To the South from the Severn to the Thames

From Tamar to the

boundaries of Kent

Early English

Spoken English

Written English

Dialects

Northumbrian

Mercian

West Saxon

Kentish

Northern Dialects

Anglian

The Standard Language arose

out of the dialects of the old

Kingdoms

The beginning of the written English

Germanic tribes

In straight lines

Incised with a chisel

Short inscriptions on

jewelry

Commemorative texts on

Wood Rocks Stones

Magical purposes

RunesRunes

Earliest use of English in

manuscripts Glosses They provided an English equivalent form some words

in Latin texts

Use of diagraphs for Non-

Latin words

“æ” was used for the English vowel

intermediate between Latin “a”

and “e”

Example

Conventions They tend to conservatism in spelling

Old conventions can be retained despite the pronunciation changes

They can be used for another dialect for which they do not quite fit

Fisc

Example

Scip sksk

ʃʃsksk

ʃʃ

Fish

Ship

Texts Texts

Medieval culture

Medieval culture

Modern CultureModern Culture

Reading aloud

Reading aloud

Letters represent a sound

Read silently to yourselfRead silently to yourself

Letters were the sound of their

voice

Letters are prior to sounds

Letters are the smallest units in written and spoken text

We expect a text to be read aloud in the

language which it is written

TextsTexts

Church controlled

Latin literacy

Written English reflects the

power of the church

597 A.D Missionaries from Rome were sent to Kent

Pope Gregory established 2 archiepiscopal sees at London and York634 A.D

667 A.D.The Kings of Northumbria and Kent collaborated over the appointment of the archbishop of Canterbury

Written EnglishWritten English

As a result of the tension between the wider church

view and the narrower political view

Concept of English Language belonged to

the church

Political sown tates had their written form

First English texts were

produced in Northumbria

First English texts were

produced in Northumbria

Mercian Mercian

Particular variety of English in written form

Used not only in Mercia but also throughout the territory where it had influence

Wessex Wessex Dominant power in the 9th century

West SaxonAdopted as an official Language within and beyond the borders of Wessex

The Survival Celtics

The Survival Celtics

Anglo-Saxons settled in eastern

England

English speakers were in contact with the native

population

Natives learnt English

The Survival Celtics

The Survival Celtics

Wealas

“Foreigners”“Foreigners”

Language Waelisc = “Foreigner-ish”Waelisc = “Foreigner-ish”

Welsh

It kept being spoken in the north and west of the Anglo-Saxon settlements

Picts Picts They were overrun by the Scots

Gaelic-speaking tribe from Ireland

Gaelic Gaelic It remained dominant in the Highlands until the clans were destroyed in the 18th

Century

South WestSouth West

Borders of Wessex were extended to the Severn after the battle of Deorham (577

A.D.)

Cornwall was cut off from the Celtic-speaking communities

further North

Cornish died out in the 18th Century

617 The borders of Northumbria reached the Mersey Battle of Chester

Welsh place names that still remain

Landican Landican

Wallasey Wallasey

“Islands of the Welsh”

Native people of Northumbria, Mercia and Wessex gave up Celtic

Native people of Northumbria, Mercia and Wessex gave up Celtic

andand

adopted English regarding themselves as English peopleadopted English regarding themselves as English people

Edward IEdward I Ring of castles in North Wales

that introduced English (and French) speakers into

influential positions in the Welsh towns

Act of Union (1536)

Wales was incorporated within the political borders of England

English and Welsh

were to be available

in church as a result

of the act of Union (1543)

that said both

had to coexist

with equality

English and Welsh

were to be available

in church as a result

of the act of Union (1543)

that said both

had to coexist

with equality

William Morgan’s translation of the

Bible (1588) was an important factor

in order to preserve the Language

William Morgan’s translation of the

Bible (1588) was an important factor

in order to preserve the Language

Growing English

conurbations

Growing English

conurbations

They led to the economic decline of Welsh towns and the

emigration of Welsh speakers to England

Accelerated not only by economic factors

but also by the Industrial Revolution