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Old English reflected the varied origins of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms established in different parts of Britain. The Late West Saxon dialect eventually became ______
dominant
The Anglo-Saxons settled in the British Isles from the mid-5th century and came to dominate the bulk of southern Great Britain. Their language originated as a group of Ingvaeonic languages which were spoken by the settlers in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages, displacing the ______ languages (and, possibly, British Latin) that had previously been dominant.
Celtic
After the Norman conquest in 1066, Old English was replaced, for a time, by Anglo-Norman (also known as Anglo-Norman French) as the language of the upper ______.
classes
A significant subsequent influence on the shaping of Old English came from contact with the North Germanic languages spoken by the Scandinavian Vikings who conquered and colonized parts of Britain during the 8th and 9th centuries, which led to much lexical borrowing and grammatical ______.
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The Anglian dialects had a greater influence on ______ English.
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Definition
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Study Notes
Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms and Language
- Old English reflected the varied origins of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms established in different parts of Britain.
- The Anglo-Saxons settled in the British Isles from the mid-5th century and came to dominate the bulk of southern Great Britain.
Language Origins
- The Anglo-Saxon language originated as a group of Ingvaeonic languages spoken by the settlers in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages.
- It displaced the Celtic languages (and, possibly, British Latin) that had previously been dominant.
Norman Conquest and Language Shift
- After the Norman conquest in 1066, Old English was replaced by Anglo-Norman (also known as Anglo-Norman French) as the language of the upper class.
Scandinavian Influence
- The Scandinavian Vikings who conquered and colonized parts of Britain during the 8th and 9th centuries had a significant influence on Old English.
- This led to much lexical borrowing and grammatical influence.
Dialects and English Development
- The Anglian dialects had a greater influence on Middle English.
- Late West Saxon dialect eventually became the standard dialect of Old English.
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Description
Test your knowledge of the history of the English language with this quiz. Explore the origins of English, its evolution, and key historical events that shaped its development.
