History of English

History of English Kelly Purser

The Anglo-Saxon Period

410 AD - Romans left England
450 AD - tribes invade
Anglo-Saxon tribes included Anglos, Saxons, and Jutes tribes
English words today were derived from Latin words, and 4 days of the week come from Anglo-Saxon's Gods names
597 AD - Christian missionaries come to England
Vikings gave the English over 2,000 words introducing actions words like die, thrust, rape, etc.

The Norman Conquest

1066 AD
William the Conquerer invades England
Latin was spoken in the church where the bible was only read by priests
10,000 words introduced by the Normans with French origin
100 years war (England vs. France)

William Shakespeare

1564 - 1616
2,000 new words and phrases invented by Shakespeare
Influence on entire English language
United the three main steams of literature: verse, poetry, and drama
Poetry, economy, and intensity was bound in the English structure
Saved the language from vagueness and vastness and infused actuality and vividness
Shakespeare's work in prose, poetry, and drama marked the beginning of modernization of English literature by introduction of words and expressions, style and form to the language

Shakespeare biography and plays

William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. From roughly 1594 onward he was an important member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men company of theatrical players. Written records give little indication of the way in which Shakespeare’s professional life molded his artistry. All that can be deduced is that over the course of 20 years, Shakespeare wrote plays that capture the complete range of human emotion and conflict.

COMEDIES

All's Well That Ends Well
As You Like It
Comedy of Errors
Love's Labour's Lost
Measure for Measure
Merchant of Venice
Merry Wives of Windsor
Midsummer Night's Dream
Much Ado about Nothing
Taming of the Shrew
Tempest
Twelfth Night
Two Gentlemen of Verona
Winter's Tale

HISTORIES

Henry IV, Part I
Henry IV, Part II
Henry V
Henry VI, Part I
Henry VI, Part II
Henry VI, Part III
Henry VIII
King John
Pericles
Richard II
Richard III

TRAGEDIES

Antony and Cleopatra
Coriolanus
Cymbeline
Hamlet
Julius Caesar
King Lear
Macbeth
Othello
Romeo and Juliet
Timon of Athens
Titus Andronicus
Troilus and Cressida

Words added to the English language by Shakespeare

The English language owes a great debt to Shakespeare. He invented over 1700 of our common words by changing nouns into verbs, changing verbs into adjectives, connecting words never before used together, adding prefixes and suffixes, and devising words wholly original. Here are a few:

Shakespeare Sonnets

# 130

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun, Coral is far more red, than her lips red, If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun: If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head: I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks, And in some perfumes is there more delight, Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know, That music hath a far more pleasing sound: I grant I never saw a goddess go, My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. And yet by heaven I think my love as rare, As any she belied with false compare.

In this Sonnet, Shakespeare compares a woman he loves to the sun. This is a negative comparison as seen as in one of the lines describing her breath that "reeks." Shakespeare loves this woman despite her imperfections.

My Sonnets

Shall I compare thee to a piece of toast? Thou art more scrumptious and delectable: Unevenly the elements may glow’st, And sticking levers are detestable: Sometimes too long the slice of bread doth roast, And seldom do the crumbs not make a mess; And often it is much too sweet for most, If one should drizzle honey in excess; But thy eternal warmth shall never cool, Nor shall thee lose thy lovely golden hue; And I’ll rejoice that fate hath not been cruel, Each morning on beholding thee anew; On this perception all the world agrees, That no delicious bread’s divine as thee.

Graduation is a time to be free, It’s a time to plan ahead into life, Time to be on our own and have a key, Despite all those days of pain and strife. Graduation is a time to feel change, Changing in the mind, body and spirit, Feeling the freedom from your “gang,” Enough with yelling and taking a fit. Graduation is a time for a friend, Congratulating them on their success, Saying goodbye is not always the end, Together we leave behind our stress. Graduation is a time for sadness, Saying goodbye is the biggest stress.

The King James Bible

1611
Team of scribes translate Bibles from Latin to English
Spread of Christianity
First printed over 400 years ago
No other book has given more to the English-speaking world
Molded the English language

The Scientific Age

1610
Acid (1626), electricity (1646), gravity (1647), pendulum (1660)
Scientists switched from Latin to English to make it easier to comprehend

English Empire

1650 - introduction of the words barbecue, cannibal, canoe, yoga, voodoo, zombie
Conquering new territories like the Caribbean, Africa, Australia
British conquered 10 million square miles

Age of the Dictionary

1746- 1755
Introduction of the first English dictionary
42,000 words
Oxford dictionary took 70 years
The second edition came to 21,728 pages in 20 volumes, published in 1989
Richard Chenevix Trench withdrew as editor and Herbert Coleridge became the first editor.