The Story of The Story of EnglishEnglish

450 AD - 2011450 AD - 2011

Related languagesRelated languagesIcelandicIcelandic

FaeroeseFaeroese SwedishSwedish

NorwegiaNorwegiann

DanishDanish

NorthNorth

GERMANIGERMANICC

WestWest EastEast

EnglishEnglish FlemishFlemish German German GothicGothic

FrisianFrisian DutchDutch YiddishYiddish

AfrikaansAfrikaans

The Runic AlphabetThe Runic Alphabet

Ye Old English AlphabetYe Old English Alphabet

Old English LettersOld English Letters

►S and G – had a different shapeS and G – had a different shape► J = GJ = G►V = FV = F►Q, X, and Z are rarely usedQ, X, and Z are rarely used►W = W = ΡΡ►Æ (ash) = between a and e Æ (ash) = between a and e ►ð (eth) and Þ (thorn) = thð (eth) and Þ (thorn) = th►Numbers were written in the Roman Numbers were written in the Roman

stylestyle

Celtic InfluenceCeltic Influence

►Only about two dozen loan words in Only about two dozen loan words in Old EnglishOld English CragCrag Carr (rock)Carr (rock) Torr (peak)Torr (peak) Luh (lake)Luh (lake) Dunn (grey)Dunn (grey) Rice (rule)Rice (rule)

Latin InfluenceLatin Influence►Less than 200 Latin loan words in Old Less than 200 Latin loan words in Old

EnglishEnglish Describing plants, animals, food, and Describing plants, animals, food, and

drinkdrink►Pise (pea)Pise (pea)►Win (wine)Win (wine)►Plante (plant)Plante (plant)►Cyse (cheese)Cyse (cheese)►Catte (cat)Catte (cat)

Norse InfluenceNorse Influence

►Due to Viking invasionsDue to Viking invasions►Nearly 1000 loan words in Old EnglishNearly 1000 loan words in Old English

BothBoth SameSame GetGet GiveGive To beTo be

What Made Old English Old What Made Old English Old English?English?

► InflectionsInflections The modification of a word to express different The modification of a word to express different

grammatical categories such as tense, mood, grammatical categories such as tense, mood, gender, and case. Conjugation is the inflection of gender, and case. Conjugation is the inflection of verbs.verbs.

► Syntax (word order)Syntax (word order) Word order did not matter in Old English because Word order did not matter in Old English because

of inflectionsof inflections

► VocabularyVocabulary Very few loan words from other languagesVery few loan words from other languages

► PronunciationPronunciation

Old English (450-1100 AD) (450-1100 AD)

Faeder ure, thu the eart on heofonumFaeder ure, thu the eart on heofonum,,Si thin Si thin namanama gehalgod. gehalgod.Tobecume thin rice.Tobecume thin rice.Gewurthe thin willa on Gewurthe thin willa on eorthaneorthan swa swa on swa swa on

heofonum.heofonum.Urne gedaeghwamlican hlaf syle us to daeg.Urne gedaeghwamlican hlaf syle us to daeg.And And forgyfforgyf us ure gyltas, swa swa we us ure gyltas, swa swa we

forgyvath forgyvath urum gyltendum.urum gyltendum.And ne gelead thu us on costnunge,And ne gelead thu us on costnunge,Ac alys Ac alys us ofus of yveleyvele. Soplice.. Soplice.

Middle English (1100 – 1500 Middle English (1100 – 1500 AD)AD)

Oure fadir that art in heuenes,Oure fadir that art in heuenes,Halowid be thi name.Halowid be thi name.Thi kyngdom come,Thi kyngdom come,Be thi wille don in erthe as in heuene.Be thi wille don in erthe as in heuene.Yeve to us this day oure breed ouir.Yeve to us this day oure breed ouir.And foryeue ti us oure dettis, as we foryeuen And foryeue ti us oure dettis, as we foryeuen

to oure detouris.to oure detouris.And lede us not in to temptacion,And lede us not in to temptacion,But delyuer us from yuel. Amen.But delyuer us from yuel. Amen.

Modern English (1500 – Modern English (1500 – Present)Present)

Our Father who art in Heaven,Our Father who art in Heaven,Hallowed be thy name.Hallowed be thy name.Thy kingdom come,Thy kingdom come,Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive

those who trespass against us.those who trespass against us.And lead us not into temptation,And lead us not into temptation,But deliver us from evil. Amen.But deliver us from evil. Amen.

How do we know how Old How do we know how Old English sounded?English sounded?

► Alphabetical logicAlphabetical logic Based on Roman sound systemBased on Roman sound system PhoneticPhonetic

► ReconstructionReconstruction Working backwards from what we knowWorking backwards from what we know

► Sound changesSound changes Looking at patterns of sound changes that we do Looking at patterns of sound changes that we do

knowknow► Poetic evidencePoetic evidence

Looking at the way poets rhyme and/or alliterate, Looking at the way poets rhyme and/or alliterate, and poetic meterand poetic meter

BeowulfBeowulf in Old English in Old EnglishHwæt! We Gardena         in geardagum,

þeodcyninga,         þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas         ellen fremedon. Oft Scyld Scefing         sceaþena þreatum,

monegum mægþum,         meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas.         Syððan ærest wearð feasceaft funden,         he þæs frofre gebad, weox under wolcnum,         weorðmyndum þah, oðþæt him æghwylc         þara ymbsittendra

ofer hronrade         hyran scolde, gomban gyldan.         þæt wæs god cyning! ðæm eafera wæs         æfter cenned, geong in geardum,         þone god sende folce to frofre;         fyrenðearfe ongeat

þe hie ær drugon         aldorlease lange hwile.         Him þæs liffrea, wuldres wealdend,         woroldare forgeaf; Beowulf wæs breme         (blæd wide sprang), Scyldes eafera         Scedelandum in.

Swa sceal geong guma         gode gewyrcean, fromum feohgiftum         on fæder bearme, þæt hine on ylde         eft gewunigen wilgesiþas,         þonne wig cume, leode gelæsten;         lofdædum sceal

in mægþa gehwære         man geþeon. Him ða Scyld gewat         to gescæphwile felahror feran         on frean wære. Hi hyne þa ætbæron         to brimes faroðe, swæse gesiþas,         swa he selfa bæd,

þenden wordum weold         wine Scyldinga;

leof landfruma         lange ahte.

From Old to Middle EnglishFrom Old to Middle English

►Decay of inflectionsDecay of inflections►Regularity of syntax (subject-verb-Regularity of syntax (subject-verb-

object order)object order)►The Norman invasion 1066 ADThe Norman invasion 1066 AD

Brought a huge French vocabulary into Brought a huge French vocabulary into the languagethe language

The Canterbury TalesThe Canterbury Tales in Middle in Middle EnglishEnglish

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 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.

From Middle to Modern From Middle to Modern EnglishEnglish

►Further standardization of spelling and Further standardization of spelling and grammargrammar

►PrintingPrinting►The Great Vowel ShiftThe Great Vowel Shift

Each vowel changed its sound quality, but Each vowel changed its sound quality, but the distinction between the vowels the distinction between the vowels remainedremained

Identity CrisisIdentity Crisis

According to According to The Cambridge Encyclopedia of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of The English LanguageThe English Language, “About 85% of Old , “About 85% of Old English words are no longer in use. Moreover, English words are no longer in use. Moreover, only 3 percent of the words in Old English are only 3 percent of the words in Old English are loan words, compared with over 70% today. loan words, compared with over 70% today. Old English vocabulary was thus profoundly Old English vocabulary was thus profoundly Germanic, in a way that is no longer the case. Germanic, in a way that is no longer the case. Nearly half of Modern English general Nearly half of Modern English general vocabulary comes from Latin or French, as a vocabulary comes from Latin or French, as a result of the huge influx of words in the result of the huge influx of words in the Middle English period.”Middle English period.”

Old English PoetryOld English Poetry

► AlliterationAlliteration Repetition of sounds at the beginning of wordsRepetition of sounds at the beginning of words

► CompoundingCompounding Combining of two words to make a new wordCombining of two words to make a new word

► Feor (life) + Seoc (sick) = Feorhseoc (life-sick or mortally Feor (life) + Seoc (sick) = Feorhseoc (life-sick or mortally wounded)wounded)

► Gar (spear) + Dena (Danes) = Gar-Dena (Spear-Danes)Gar (spear) + Dena (Danes) = Gar-Dena (Spear-Danes)► KenningsKennings

A form of compounding that is metaphoricalA form of compounding that is metaphorical► Ban (bone) + hus (house) = banhus (bone-house or human Ban (bone) + hus (house) = banhus (bone-house or human

body)body)► Hron (whale) + rad (road) = Hronrad (whale road or sea)Hron (whale) + rad (road) = Hronrad (whale road or sea)► Rodores (sky) + candel (candle) = Rodores candel (sky’s Rodores (sky) + candel (candle) = Rodores candel (sky’s

candle or the sun)candle or the sun) Beowulf has over 1000 compounds and kennings which Beowulf has over 1000 compounds and kennings which

comprise a third of all the words in the text.comprise a third of all the words in the text.

More KenningsMore Kennings

► Seal-bath (the sea)Seal-bath (the sea)► Fish-home (the sea)Fish-home (the sea)► Ring-giver (king)Ring-giver (king)► Battle-sweat (blood)Battle-sweat (blood)► Slaughter-dew (blood)Slaughter-dew (blood)► Raven-harvest (corpse)Raven-harvest (corpse)► Brow-stars (eyes)Brow-stars (eyes)► Lip-streams (poetry)Lip-streams (poetry)► Sea-steed (ship)Sea-steed (ship)► Bait-gallows (hook)Bait-gallows (hook)► Spear-din (battle)Spear-din (battle)

Old English PoetryOld English Poetry► FormulasFormulas

Stock phrases that fulfill the metrical needs of a line or half lineStock phrases that fulfill the metrical needs of a line or half line► Gomban gyldan (to pay tribute)Gomban gyldan (to pay tribute)► Bearn EcgBearn Ecgþeow’s (Ecgþeow’s son)þeow’s (Ecgþeow’s son)

► VariationVariation Restatement of a concept or term using different wordsRestatement of a concept or term using different words Reminds the audience of important factsReminds the audience of important facts Allows the poet to present an event from multiple perspectivesAllows the poet to present an event from multiple perspectives

► ““The nobleman’s son then passed the steep rocky cliffs, the narrow path, the The nobleman’s son then passed the steep rocky cliffs, the narrow path, the narrow single-file path, an unknown way, precipitous headland, the homes of narrow single-file path, an unknown way, precipitous headland, the homes of many water monsters”many water monsters”

► VersificationVersification Beowulf is written in alliterative verseBeowulf is written in alliterative verse Four stressed beats plus and undetermined number of unstressed beats Four stressed beats plus and undetermined number of unstressed beats

per lineper line The third stress of a line always alliterates with the first and/or second The third stress of a line always alliterates with the first and/or second

stress and never with the fourthstress and never with the fourth Rhyming is very uncommonRhyming is very uncommon

► Oft Scyld ScefingOft Scyld Scefing sceasceaþena þreatumþena þreatummonegum maegmonegum maegþumþum meodosetla ofteah.meodosetla ofteah.

Write Your Own PoetryWrite Your Own Poetry

► Requirements:Requirements: contains at least 2 compounds or kenningscontains at least 2 compounds or kennings contains at least 2 examples of alliterationcontains at least 2 examples of alliteration is written in heroic or mock heroic styleis written in heroic or mock heroic style Uses at least 5 Old English wordsUses at least 5 Old English words

►Word bank: eorthan (earth), brim (sea), bryne Word bank: eorthan (earth), brim (sea), bryne (fire), wæter (water), rad (road), hus (house), (fire), wæter (water), rad (road), hus (house), wer (man), cwene (woman), bearn (child), wer (man), cwene (woman), bearn (child), fæder (father), modor (mother), broðor fæder (father), modor (mother), broðor (brother), folme (hand), earm (arm), fot (foot), (brother), folme (hand), earm (arm), fot (foot), bileofa (food), drynce (drink), freond (friend), bileofa (food), drynce (drink), freond (friend), frendscipe (love), god (good), yvelefrendscipe (love), god (good), yvele (evil)(evil)