Literature 1: History of the English Language

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• Leerjaar 5

Literature 1: 
The History of the 
English Language

The History of the
English Language

1. Take a guess: English is part of which language family?

1. Germanic Languages
2. Romanic Languages
3. Slavic Languages
4. Uralic Languages

2. Take a guess: The tribes that invaded England between 400-1000, came from ...?

1. Belgium & The North of France
2. Finland & The North of Poland
3. Germany & The North of The Netherlands
4. Denmark & The North of Germany

3. True or False: Old English had just as many "naamvallen" as modern day German.

1. True
2. False

4. Take a guess: The French invaded Great Britain in what year?

1. 666
2. 1066
3. 1466
4. 1866

5. Take a guess: Which of the following words was not invented by Shakespeare?

1. justice
2. puppy
3. alligator
4. fashionable

The English Language:

Mix of languages led to: 
   - Old English: 450-1100
   - Middle English: 1100-1500
   - Early Modern English: 1500-1800
   - Late Modern English: 1800-now

Influences on the English Language:

Development: 

- Modern English = I steal, you steal, he steals, we steal
- Old English =  ic stele, þu stilst, hē stilð, we stelaþ

- Similar to the German "Naamvallen"
- English & German are part of the same Germanic language 
   family and have the same origin. 

Old English (450-1100)

- Up until 450: a mix of languages, mostly Celtic, some Latin
- Part of Roman empire 43 - 410 AD

- Angles, Saxons & Jutes invade England 
- Add lots of new words:
   eald (old), brodor (brother), hus (house)

Middle English (1100-1500)

- Vikings have invaded England 
- Added 2000 words

- 1066: Norman Conquest 
- The French conquer the British Isles
- Latin = the new important language of church & politics
- More difficult words enter the language: justice, liberty, etc. 

Early Modern English (1500-1800)

- The Hundred Years War ends the French rule
- 15th century: invention of the printing press
- More books = more access = more standardisation 

- Shakespeare adds 1700 words (puppy, fashionable, alligator)
- 16th century onwards: colonialisation

Late Modern English (1800-now)

- Industrial Revolution & Enlightenment (Verlichting): new
   words for technological, philosophical &  scientific concepts

- English spreads the world: vocabulary added for things & 
   animals from other countries. 
   

6. The Old English Period lasted from:

1. 250-900
2. 350-1000
3. 450-1100
4. 550-1200

7. Which of the following groups did not invade England during the Old English period?

1. Saxons
2. Jutes
3. Franks
4. Angles

8. What conquest happened in 1066?

1. Norwegian Conquest
2. Norman Conquest
3. Northern Conquest
4. Normal Conquest

9. What war ended the French rule in England?

1. 1st World War
2. 2nd World War
3. Eighty Years' War
4. Hundred Year War

10. What invention led to more standardisation of the English language in the 16th century?

1. The steam engine
2. The printing press
3. The newspaper
4. The dictionary

11. How many words did Shakespeare add to the English language?

1. 1500
2. 1600
3. 1700
4. 1800

12. Which country has not been part of the British Empire in the past?

1. Kenya
2. Sudan
3. Egypt
4. Angola

Dost thou knowest Shakespeare?

Learned something?

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