Page 552

The History of the English Language

Old English

English is part of the Indo-European group of languages. When some of the ancient Indo-Europeans migrated west, they developed a number of Germanic dialects. It was these people who invaded the British Isles about 1,500 years ago, bringing with them what we call Old English—the earliest version of English. These Germanic Anglo-Saxons were warriors, but they enjoyed puns and creating compound words. They called the sea the whaleroad (hranrad) and combined the word for nose and hole to give us nostril.

Half of our everyday words come directly from Old English. Here are some of them: hand, field, tree, house, sun, day, drink, sit, love, and live.

Invasions

Two more invasions affected English. Beginning in 787, the Vikings raided their distant cousins in England, bringing with them most of the words in English that begin with sk- (skin, sky, skirt) and other common words like die, freckle, and window. Then in 1066, William of Normandy arrived in England, bringing with him knights, clergy, and government officials who spoke French and Latin.