What periods do we distinguish in the History of the English language?

The history of English is conventionally, divided into three periods usually

called Old English (or Anglo-Saxon), Middle English, and Modern English.

-- The earliest period (Old English) begins with the migration of certain

Germanic tribes from the continent to Britain in the fifth century A. D., though no

records of their language survive from before the seventh century, and it continues

until the end of the eleventh century or a bit later. By that time Latin, Old Norse

(the language of the Viking invaders), and especially the Anglo-Norman French of

the dominant class after the Norman Conquest in 1066 had begun to have a

substantial impact on the lexicon, and the well-developed inflectional system that

typifies the grammar of Old English had begun to break down.

-- Middle English period lasted from 12^th to 15^th century. That was a period of the

Norman rule.

-- Early Modern English period lasted from 16^th to 17^th century. Modern English period

lasted from 17^th century till now.

What languages were spoken in the British Isles before the Germanic invasion? Which of their descendants have survived today?

Before the Germanic settlers arrived in Britain and became the first

speakers of "English," other peoples had claimed the island as their home. The first

inhabitants for whom we have linguistic knowledge were the Celts, who arrived

around the time of the Bronze Age (2000–500 B.C.). They were almost certainly

the first speakers of an Indo-European language to arrive.

The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common

Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family.

Modern Celtic languages (Welsh, Irish, Breton, Scottish Gaelic, Cornish,

Manx) are mostly spoken on the north-western edge of Europe, notably in Ireland,

Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall, and the Isle of Man, and can be found spoken

on Cape Breton Island.

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 1831