100% satisfaction guarantee Immediately available after payment Both online and in PDF No strings attached
logo-home
Summary of "A Brief History of English" - EXP 101L Expository Writing 101 with Lab £6.52   Add to cart

Other

Summary of "A Brief History of English" - EXP 101L Expository Writing 101 with Lab

 12 views  0 purchase
  • Module
  • Institution

The Evolution of English In an essay entitled “A Brief History of English” in the compilation Essential Essays, American scholar Paul Roberts outlines the history of the language and how it came to be the modern English that is spoken today. He begins by expressing his knowledge that the his...

[Show more]

Preview 2 out of 7  pages

  • March 6, 2023
  • 7
  • 2022/2023
  • Other
  • Unknown
avatar-seller
Chartier 1


Jaime Chartier

Professor Lewis

Expository Writing I

18 September 2013

The Evolution of English

In an essay entitled “A Brief History of English” in the compilation Essential Essays,

American scholar Paul Roberts outlines the history of the language and how it came to be the

modern English that is spoken today. He begins by expressing his knowledge that the history is

lengthy and that he will only touch on “key points.”(5) He includes information on how other

languages such as French, Latin, and German have had an impact on the way English is

pronounced and written. For thousands of years the English language has been influenced by

many foreign languages. As the English language was shaped into what is spoken today,

numerous foreign language devices and vocabulary were incorporated into the language and

many changes in sound, grammar, and vocabulary occurred.

Roberts begins with introducing the very beginning of the English language and the first

historical knowledge of it. A few thousand years before A.D. the speakers of the oldest form of

English were groups of people that lived in the forests of Northern Europe (5). The language they

spoke was part of the Indo-European grouping but was considered a form of early German (5).

Eventually three tribes were formed and each spoke a different dialect of “Low German.” (5)

They were called the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes but can generally be referred to as the

Anglo-Saxons (6). Since the Roman Empire took up much of Europe in the beginning of A.D.,

these tribes had some contact with civilization. Their interactions with the Romans allowed for




This study source was downloaded by 100000850872992 from CourseHero.com on 03-06-2023 08:08:26 GMT -06:00


https://www.coursehero.com/file/10020116/Summary-of-A-Brief-History-of-English/

, Chartier 2


the Anglo-Saxons to take some Latin words and incorporate them into the languages that they

spoke (6). Some of these words include kettle, wine, cheap, and church (6).

Although the Anglo-Saxons learned a lot from the Roman Empire they took the

opportunity to attack while the Romans were already under siege (6). The Celtic tribes in

northern Britain had been attacking the Empire for almost a hundred years, and gained control of

England in A.D. 410 (6). The last of the Latin language being spoken in England left with the

empire, and what remained was the Celtic language with some Latin integration (6). The Anglo-

Saxons had also been attacking Britain for a while, using ships to get from the Northern coast of

Europe to the island (6). They were opposed by both the Roman’s and the Celts, but the Celts

were left almost completely defenseless when the Roman Empire in Britain fell. Subsequently

the Anglo-Saxons were able to take control of Britain around 550 after many years of fighting

with the Celts (7). Different parts of England became home to the different tribes. Although there

was no significant shift in language during this time, this was the first record of English being in

England (7). Although there is information about this time period, Roberts considers it “Pre-

History” and the essay states that it is not completely reputable and the real history begins after

A.D. 600 (5).

After the Anglo-Saxons took over England, they were known as the English. They began

to learn more of the Latin language when they were converted to Christianity (7). Through this

conversion, they were also taught the Latin alphabet (7). Roberts states that this is the beginning

of “Old English,” and the first time we have actual records of existence of the language (7).

These records are due to a spark in translation of Latin writings into the current language of

England during that time (8).




This study source was downloaded by 100000850872992 from CourseHero.com on 03-06-2023 08:08:26 GMT -06:00


https://www.coursehero.com/file/10020116/Summary-of-A-Brief-History-of-English/

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller ExamsConnoisseur. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for £6.52. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

79223 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now

Start selling
£6.52
  • (0)
  Add to cart