Old English Language

Old English (OE)

• Earliest form of English, also known as Anglo-Saxon (5th-11th centuries)
• Three dialects: West Saxon, Kentish, Anglian, and Mercian
• West Saxon was the most prominent dialect, used by King Alfred the Great (849-899)
• The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a significant OE text, was compiled during Alfred's reign

Characteristics of OE

• Synthetic language with much inflected morphology
• Free word order, except in prose
• Had cases (nominative, accusative, genitive, and dative) and genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter)
• Adjectives agreed with nouns in terms of case, gender, and number
• Weak and strong verb forms (e.g., -ede, -od, -d)

The Scandinavian Influence

• Vikings invaded England in the 9th century, introducing Old Norse
• MANY loanwords entered English from Old Norse (e.g., egg, steak, bread, down, fog)
• Also influenced spelling and pronunciation (e.g., /sk/ in sky, skin, skirt)

Middle English (ME)

• Form of English spoken after the Norman Conquest (1066-15th century)
• Three large groups of dialects: Southern, Midland, and Northern
• Norman Conquest introduced French influence, leading to the stratification of society and language
• ME was an analytic language, with the significant disappearance of inflections
• Word order, contrastive intonation, and prepositions replaced inflections
• Vocabulary expanded with borrowings from French, Latin, and Scandinavian languages

Early Modern English (EME)

• Post-medieval form of English (1500-1700)
• Spanned the Tudor and Stuart dynasties
• Coincided with the Renaissance and the Reformation
• London became a center of power and attracted people from the country
• The Great Vowel Shift (GVS) occurred during this period, affecting long stressed vowels
• GVS changed the pronunciation of words (e.g., /na:me/ became /ne:m/)
• Orthography was standardized, and dictionaries and grammar books were published
• Grammar changes included the loss of thou and the introduction of its and -self

Vocabulary Expansion

• EME saw a significant expansion of vocabulary, with borrowings from many languages

• Latin and Greek words entered English during the Renaissance

• Inkhorn words, although short-lived, were a feature of this period

• Borrowings from Italian, Portuguese, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Turkish, Japanese, and other languages enriched the English language### The King James Bible

• King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England and Scotland after Elizabeth I's death in 1603.

• The King James Bible, also known as the Authorised Version, was compiled and printed in 1611.

• The compilation was completed by 54 scholars and clerics to standardise the many new English language Bibles that had appeared in the previous seven decades.

Impact of the King James Bible

• The King James Bible brought the Bible directly to the common people, contributing to the evolution of the English language.
• Many phrases and words introduced by the King James Bible are still used today, such as:
  • "The kiss of death"
  • "Eye for an eye"
  • "A drop in the bucket"
  • "The root of the matter"
  • "Set your house in order"
  • "Turned the world upside down"
  • "A thorn in the flesh"
  • "White as snow"

Broader Impact on English Language and Culture

• The King James Bible contributed to the standardisation of the English language.
• It led to a rich expansion of the English lexicon.
• Changes in the cultural and political climate, including the spread of printing and increasing education, contributed to the growth of literacy in the population.
• Increased mobility of people towards London and the rest of the world led to contacts with new languages and the spread of English across the world.
• Global trade led to the exchange of languages and ideas.