The Evolution of English
This was the 300+ year transition from Middle English to Modern English, featuring a major change the pronunciation of sounds represented by the letters a, e, i, o, and u.
What is the Great Vowel Shift?
This story, told aloud for centuries in Old English, is one of the few surviving non-religious pieces of Anglo-Saxon literature.
What is Beowulf?
This reason for language evolution explains why there are regional accents (southern, Boston, midwestern) in American English today
What is isolation?
This author is known for writing "The Canterbury Tales", a foundational work in Middle English.
Who is Geoffrey Chaucer?
This event in 1066 had a profound influence on the English language, introducing many French words into the vocabulary.
What is the Norman Conquest?
This group invaded the British Isles on October 14, 1066, making French the language of government and religion, alongside Latin.
Who are the Normans?
Also known as the Danes, this collection of Germanic tribes repeatedly invaded the British Isles and built a city in northern England.
Who are the Vikings?
This reason for language evolution explains why the “How do ye do?” greeting of centuries past is now simply “howdy.
What is laziness?
This Old English epic poem is one of the most important works of ancient British literature.
What is Beowulf?
This technological innovation of the 15th century significantly increased the dissemination of written works and contributed to the standardization of English spelling and grammar
What is the invention of the printing press?
This is another term for Old English and contains the names of two Germanic tribes that invaded and settled the British Isles after 410 CE.
What is Anglo-Saxon?
Shakespeare wrote his plays and sonnets when this form of English was in its early stages.
What is Modern English?
This reason for language evolution explains why some English words, like 'kindergarten' and 'sushi', originated from other languages.
What is language borrowing or lexical borrowing
This author's works are known for their influence on Modern English, especially in terms of vocabulary and phrases that have become common in the English language.
Who is William Shakespeare?
This historical period, marked by a renewed interest in the sciences, arts, and languages of ancient Greece and Rome, had a significant influence on Modern English.
What is the Renaissance?
This group, as part of conquering much of Europe, invaded the British Isles, only leaving when their empire fell around 410 CE.
Who are the Romans?
Canterbury Tales and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight were written when this stage of English was being spoken.
What is Middle English?
This reason for language evolution explains why certain words like 'selfie' and 'hashtag' have been added to the English language in recent years.
What is technological advancement?
Paradise Lost," an epic poem in blank verse, was written in Early Modern English by this author.
Who is John Milton?
This long period of colonial expansion spread the English language around the globe, leading to the development of many different varieties of English.
What is the British Empire?
This period led to the adoption of numerous words directly from Latin to describe new concepts in science, technology, and the arts.
What is the Renaissance?
This group lived in the British Isles for millennia, only seriously disturbed by another cultural group around 43 BCE.
Who are the Celts?
This reason for language evolution refers to the process by which words acquire new meanings over time, such as 'cool' going from a temperature descriptor to a term of approval
What is semantic shift or semantic change?
This author's translation of the Bible into English in the 16th century had a profound impact on the development of Modern English
Who is William Tyndale?
This 5th-century event marked the end of Roman rule in Britain and the beginning of the Old English period.
What is the Anglo-Saxon migration or the fall of the Roman Empire?