Anglo-Saxon Language
Nearly all knowledge of the English language before the seventh century is hypothetical. Most of this knowledge is based on later English documents and earlier documents in related languages (3). The English language of today represents many centuries of development. As a continuous process, the development of the English language began in England around the year 449 with the arrival of several Germanic tribes including: the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes (1, p.49). English, like all other languages, is subject to constant growth and decay (1). Many of the political and social events that have so profoundly affected the English people in their life have generally had an impact on their language (1). The evolution and developmental changes of Anglo-Saxon Language and Modern English have been characterized by three basic periods: Old English, Middle English, and Modern English. Old English was spoken and written in England during the early part of the Middle Ages, from about 600-1100 (2). The language's earliest stage of development was known as Old English (OE) (3). The four main varieties of the language that were taken to Britain were: Kentish which was associated with the Jutes; West Saxon, from the Southern regio
(5) Borrowing from other languages. But three main features of ME greatly contrasted with OE: There was a greatly increased borrowing from other languages, such as, French and Latin; the system of grammatical inflections was notably reduced: and the orthography of the language became highly varied and unstable (3, p657). " As Late Modern English (LModE) spread, it gained new vocabulary from languages worldwide(3, p474). The "vocabulary expanded chiefly through compounding and derivation," but there were also a few changes in meaning that contributed to this growth (3, p473). " The growth of ME can be contributed to westward invasion and settlement (3, p658). The first written form of the language was runic letters which was replaced by a modified version of the Roman alphabet during the Anglo-Saxon conversion to Christianity (3). However, in 1933 this version was revised and "reprinted in twelve volumes" and given its current title, the Oxford English Dictionary(7, p2of4). The group projected a "four-volume, 6,400-page work that would include all English language vocabulary from the Early Middle English period (1150 AD) onward(7, p1of4). n, Wessex; Mercian, an Anglian dialect which was spoken in Mercia; and Northumbrian, one of the northernmost Anglian dialects (3). " In April 1928, the dictionary, called a New English Dictionary on Historical Principles, was published containing over 400,000 words and phrases in ten volumes(7, p2of4). Middle English was spoken from 1100-1500 during the late Middle Ages (2, p3 of 4). (6) The translation of many foreign works into English. " The English language spoken today has undergone major changes in every aspect. Through regular changes in the language, ME gradually evolved into the third stage Modern English (ModE).
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Acceptance Essays
