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History of English

English Language History

The history of the English Language.

English as a Global Language
English Language History

English as a Global Language

ByRichard Barker September 22, 2023April 3, 2024

English as a Global Language

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Language & Geography
English Language History

Language & Geography

ByRichard Barker September 22, 2023October 16, 2023

Language & Geography

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How New English Words are Created
English Language History

How New English Words are Created

ByRichard Barker September 22, 2023October 16, 2023

How New English Words are Created

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Simplified timeline of developments in the English language
English Language History

English History Timeline

ByRichard Barker September 22, 2023November 15, 2023

A timeline of English History throughout the ages

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English Today
English Language History

English Today

ByRichard Barker September 22, 2023April 3, 2024

How and where English is used today

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Late Modern English (c. 1800 – Present)
English Language History

Late Modern English (c. 1800 – Present)

ByRichard Barker September 21, 2023September 19, 2024

The Industrial and Scientific Revolution The dates may be rather arbitrary, but the main distinction between Early Modern and Late Modern English (or just Modern English as it is sometimes referred to) lies in its…

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Middle English
English Language History

Middle English (c. 1100 – c. 1500)

ByRichard Barker September 21, 2023April 3, 2024

Norman Conquest The event that began the transition from Old English to Middle English was the Norman Conquest of 1066, when William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy and, later, William I of England) invaded the…

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Old English (c. 500 – c. 1100)
English Language History

Old English (c. 500 – c. 1100)

ByRichard Barker September 21, 2023January 7, 2025

Invasions of Germanic Tribes More important than the Celts and the Romans for the development of the English language, though, was the succession of invasions from continental Europe after the Roman withdrawal. No longer protected…

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before-english
English Language History

Before English (Prehistory – c. 500AD)

ByRichard Barker September 21, 2023April 3, 2024

Indo-European The English language, and indeed most European languages, traces it original roots back to a Neolithic (late Stone Age) people known as the Indo-Europeans or Proto-Indo-Europeans, who lived in Eastern Europe and Central Asia…

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Early Modern English (c. 1500 – c. 1800)
English Language History

Early Modern English (c. 1500 – c. 1800)

ByRichard Barker September 14, 2023April 3, 2024

Great Vowel Shift A major factor separating Middle English from Modern English is known as the Great Vowel Shift, a radical change in pronunciation during the 15th, 16th and 17th Century, as a result of…

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English Language History
English Language History

English Language History

ByRichard Barker September 14, 2023November 15, 2023

The history of the English language is a complex tapestry of gradual developments and short, sharp shocks, of isolation and mutual influences, of borrowings and obsolescences. I am unlikely to do it justice in this…

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Early Modern English
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English Today
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How New Words are Created
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English as a Global Language

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