Chronology
Famous folk and their native tongue
Languages we Love
Trivia
Dates
100
Most famous year in English History & in our study of the evolution of the English Language. The year separates the Anglo Saxon Period from the Medieval Period. From this date forward, a minority of French-speaking overlords will rule over an Old English speaking farming population.
What is 1066?
100
Language spoken by Wiliam the Conqueror.
What is French?
100
The dominant language in Britain from 1000 BC through the military occupation of the Romans. Oddly, it has had minimal impact upon Modern English. Only a dozen or so words such as ... whiskey, plaid, galore, crag, penguin, and shamrock... remain in Modern English from this tongue. But, it had been spoken throughout all of the British Isles for over a millenium.
What is Celtic?
100
We note that he has a rudimentary mastery of both Celtic and English. This is considered a very serviceable and marketable ability in modern times as Celtic is slowly dying out. This is that name of that bi-lingual sheep-dog.
What is Vick?
100
From this landmark date onward, we see the impact of a French speaking Norman ruling class to England. It is the date of the Battle of Hastings.
What is 1066?
200
Year in which William Caxton brings one of Johann Gutenburg's Moveable-Type Printing Presses to England. Caxton will set up shop adjacent to the church of Westminster Abbey and publish works, especially Bibles beginning in this year.
What is 1476? 1477?
200
Language in which the Venerble Bede heard Mass and sung the monk's prayer services known as Matins and Vespers. Language in which Bede read his Bible. The Venerable Bede will also compose his "Ecclesiastical History of the English People." in this classical language rather than his vernacular.
What is Latin?
200
Surprisingly, just 20 percent of our full dictionary is derived from words of this language. However, this tongue does provides over 90% of our most commonly used words. Hence, almost any passage of a typical conversation sees a great density of words originating from this language.
What is German... Old English?
200
Caxton brings one of Johann Gutenberg's "moveable type" printing presses to England from Germany. We see that Caxton spells "idiosycratically" This is the odd phonetic spelling he provides for the word meaning "a young female."
What is "gherl"
200
The three groups who begin migrating to Britain beginning in 449 AD.
Who are the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes?
300
Jesus spoke his last words "Heli, heli, lama sabachthani?" in his native Aramaic. However, rather than Aramaic, it was this language that was dominant in the far away islands of Britain at the time of Christ.
What is Celtic?
300
Language spoken by the Venerable Bede in his household as a young lad. Tongue in which he would have said "Mommy, I love you" prior to becoming orphaned at age 7 and taken in by the monks.
What is Old English.
300
The Danelaw of the 800's shows a great impact of the Norse and Danish tongues upon the English language. Scandinavian invaders take over the north-eastern half of England. Words like "steak, egg, knife, rotten, and awkward" enter the English language from this sacking, looting, and pillaging peoples who are best known by this generic term.
Who are the Vikings?
300
The following line is from his work... "There was also a Nun, a Prioress, and she was clepped Madame Eglantine." This man, "The Father of English Literature" is the first author to be buried in the Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey.
Who is Geoffrey Chaucer? Author of "The Canterbury Tales."
300
In the year 1476 AD this businessman sets up shop outside of Westminster Abbey. He has invested in the new technology of the age and it will allow him to earn a nice profit.
Who is William Caxton, Printer?
400
The Roman Emperor Hadrian orders a wall built along his most northern frontier in Britain. This is the language his soldiers would have spoken in the forts and guard posts up there on the Scottish border.
What is Latin?
400
Language spoken by Geoffrey Chaucer. It is this, his vernacular, that he decided to use when he pens his "Canterbury Tales" in the 1390's.
What is Middle English?
400
In the Morality Play performed upon the steps of Lincoln Catherdral, we see the devil Titivillus tempting man with the 7 deadly sins. Composed in Middle English, we find we can understand the play in its original form. Along with the well known Morality Play "Everyman" this work (that we see see performed in the documentary) is the other well known piece of Medieval drama.
What is "Mankind?"
400
The massive banquet table shown in the documentary demonstrates that a wide variety of synonyms exist in English for foods as well as for other words. This is the language that provided over 10,000 words to our lexicon including those similar words for foods.
What is French?
400
The Celtic language pretty much becomes extinct in what geographically becomes the country of England in around 500 AD. It is considered a dying language today. Yet, some Celtic is still spoken. We note a Welshman speaking Celtic to his cousin, an onion seller, from Brittany. Brittany is part of this modern day country.
What is France?
500
Vikings, speaking their Norse/Danish tongue, practically conquer England around 800 AD. However, Alfred the Great will manage to keep control in the southwest and the people will continue to speak this language as their native tongue. Alfred will have his chroniclers use this language, their vernacular, as they record their secular history in the "Anglo Saxon Chronicles."
What is Old English?
500
Language spoken by Shakespeare and his King, James, who is responsible for the publication of an authoratative English translation of the Bible. Also this is the language spoken by Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and Edgar Allan Poe.
What is Modern English?
500
Two hundred years after the conquest of 1066, King Edward III of England was a French speaker who still knew almost no English. Supposedly, these terms are the only words from the Old English of the common people that he did manage to master.
What are swear words?
500
Old English had many odd, irregular plurals. However most of these irregular plural forms are dropped as the language changes to basically just adding an "s" to make plurals. This is seen with most plurals prior to the year 1000 AD. This evolution in the language is due to a practical, folksy, language compromise between the Anglo-Saxons and this more recently settled cultural group.
Who are the Vikings, Norse/Danes?
500
It is a massive secular work of history, composed from about the year 800 AD onwards. In our documentary, we continually hear the reading of this masterpiece in its original Old English. This work provides us with accounts of the historical events of the Anglo-Saxon Period.
What are "The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles?" They were commissioned by King Alfred the Great.
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