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500
The Anglo-Saxons settle the British Isles
Around the year 500, groups of Germanic people, the Jutes, Angles and Saxons start migrating to the British Isles, and in the process, bringing with them their language which would be the precursor to Modern English. -
Period: 500 to 1100
Old English
The period from 500 until the Norman conquest in 1066 is labelled Old English. -
793
The Vikings arrive at the British Isles
The first Viking attack on Britian in 793 was the start of Viking settlement and influence that would last until the Norman Conquest, especially in the area that became known as the Danelaw. Old English is influenced by words from coming from Old Norse. -
1066
The Norman Conquest
The Norman Conquest of 1066 was the beginning of a period of great changes in the English language bringing french and a romance vocabulary to the Englsih language. This period also marks the start of the period we call Middle English. -
Period: 1100 to 1450
Middle English
The period after the Norman conquest was a period of great changes in the English language. -
1440
The invention of the printing press
The printing press makes the written word available to "everybody" and in the process also making the printed word more standardized. -
Period: 1450 to
Early Modern English
The language is becoming more similar to the modern English of today. This period coincides with the Renaissance, a time period with a renewed interest in classical learning, culture and literature, and education. -
Jamestown is established
Jamestown is the first permanent English settlement in the New World, bringing the English language to North America. -
The King James Bible
The King James Bible became the standard translation and it was read by "everybody" influencing the process of standardizing the English language. -
Period: to
Modern English
The English language takes the form that we know and use today. -
Australia and New Zealand become British colonies
Australia was claimed for the British Crown by James Cook in 1770 and in the process spreading the English language to the Australian and Pacific continent.. New Zealand was claimed for England just before Australia. -
The arrival of dictionaries
Dictionaries contributes to the standardization of the English language. The debate about prescriptive and descripive rules become central issues. The Webster dictionary comes out in 1806 and later in 1928 the Oxford English Dictionary. -
The USA becomes a superpower
After World War II the USA become an economic, political, military and cultural superpower and are among the main reasons for the further spread of the English language. -
English becomes the "lingua franca" in the post-colonial world
The colonies of the British Empire are being de-colonized. Most countries keep English as an official language and it is widely used in administration and education. -
Internet and Social Media
Internet becomes widely available around the world. English is the main language being used. Social media like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and more, further expands the use of the English language.