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The article explains the brief history of English

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This page is a short history of the origins and development of the English language

The history of the English language really started with the arrival of three Germanic tribes who invaded Britain during the 5th century AD. These tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes, crossed the North Sea from what today is Denmark and northern Germany. At that time the inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language. But most of the Celtic speakers were pushed west and north by the invaders - mainly into what is now Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The Angles came from "Englaland" [ sic] and their language was called "Englisc" - from which the words "England" and "English" are derived.

Germanic invaders entered Britain on the east and south coasts in the 5th century

Old English (450-1100 AD)

The invading Germanic tribes spoke similar languages, which in Britain developed into what we now call Old English. Old English did not sound or look like English today. Native English speakers now would have great difficulty understanding Old English. Nevertheless, about half of the most commonly used words in Modern English have Old English roots. The words be, strong and water, for example, derive from Old English. Old English was spoken until around 1100.

Beowulf, a poem written in Old English (public domain)
Middle English (1100-1500)

In 1066 William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy (part of modern France), invaded and conquered England. The new conquerors (called the Normans) brought with them a kind of French, which became the language of the Royal Court, and the ruling and business classes. For a period there was a kind of linguistic class division, where the lower classes spoke English and the upper classes spoke French. In the 14th century English became dominant in Britain again, but with many French words added. This language is called Middle English. It was the language of the great poet Chaucer (c1340-1400), but it would still be difficult for native English speakers to understand today.

An example of Middle English by Chaucer (public domain)

Modern English

Early Modern English (1500-1800)

Towards the end of Middle English, a sudden and distinct change in pronunciation (the Great Vowel Shift) started, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the 16th century the British had contact with many peoples from around the world.

This, and the Renaissance of Classical learning, meant that many new words and phrases entered the language. The invention of printing also meant that there was now a common language in print. Books became cheaper and more people learned to read. Printing also brought standardization to English. Spelling and grammar became fixed, and the dialect of London, where most publishing houses were, became the standard. In 1604 the first English dictionary was published.

Lines from Hamlet, written in Early Modern English by Shakespeare (public domain)

Late Modern English (1800-Present)

The main difference between Early Modern English and Late Modern English is vocabulary. Late Modern English has many more words, arising from two principal factors: firstly, the Industrial Revolution and technology created a need for new words; secondly, the British Empire at its height covered one quarter of the earth's surface, and the English language adopted foreign words from many countries.

Varieties of English

From around 1600, the English colonization of North America resulted in the creation of a distinct American variety of English. Some English pronunciations and words "froze" when they reached America. In some ways, American English is more like the English of Shakespeare than modern British English is. Some expressions that the British call "Americanisms" are in fact original British expressions that were preserved in the colonies while lost for a time in Britain (for example trash for rubbish, loan as a verb instead of lend, and fall for autumn; another example, frame-up, was re-imported into Britain through Hollywood gangster movies). Spanish also had an influence on American English (and subsequently British English), with words like canyon, ranch, stampede and vigilante being examples of Spanish words that entered English through the settlement of the American West. French words (through Louisiana) and West African words (through the slave trade) also influenced American English (and so, to an extent, British English).

Today, American English is particularly influential, due to the USA's dominance of cinema, television, popular music, trade and technology (including the Internet). But there are many other varieties of English around the world, including for example Australian English, New Zealand English, Canadian English, South African English, Indian English and Caribbean English.

The Germanic Family of Languages

English is a member of the Germanic family of languages. Germanic is a branch of the Indo-European language family.

A brief chronology of English

55 BC

Roman invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar

Local
inhabitants
speak
Celtish

AD 43

Roman invasion and occupation. Beginning of Roman rule of Britain

436

Roman withdrawal from Britain complete

449

Settlement of Britain by Germanic invaders begins

450-480

Earliest known Old English inscriptions

Old
English

1066

William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, invades and conquers England

c1150

Earliest surviving manuscripts in Middle English

Middle
English

1348

English replaces Latin as the language of instruction in most schools

1362

English replaces French as the language of law. English is used in Parliament for the first time

c1388

Chaucer starts writing The Canterbury Tales

c1400

The Great Vowel Shift begins

1476

William Caxton establishes the first English printing press

Early
Modern
English

1564

Shakespeare is born

1604

Table Alphabeticall, the first English dictionary, is published

1607

The first permanent English settlement in the New World (Jamestown) is established

1616

Shakespeare dies

1623

Shakespeare's First Folio is published

1702

The first daily English-language newspaper, The Daily Courant, is published in London

1755

Samuel Johnson publishes his English dictionary

1776

Thomas Jefferson writes the American Declaration of Independence

1782

Britain abandons its colonies in what is later to become the USA

1828

Webster publishes his American English dictionary

Late
Modern
English

1922

The British Broadcasting Corporation is founded

1928

The Oxford English Dictionary is published

Contributor: Josef Essberger

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A short history of the origins and development of English from the 5th century AD. With map, illustrations and brief chronology.

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The article explains the features of Middle-eastern English

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Arabish_ Englic or Englabic_ The English-Arabic combo with a sound all of its own _ Middle East 

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The video teaches how to speak English with Arabic accent

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The article explains the varieties of English in Middle-east

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Englishes of the Middle East _ Ahmar Mahboob - Academia.edu

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The article explains the history of Middle-east English and it features

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The video shows how to speak and sound like Australians

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1 Simple Tip To Sound Australian: /ɑ/ | How To Do an Aussie Accent

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The article explains the differences between Australian English, British English and American English in a fun way

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When you're learning English in a classroom, online or offline, it's easy to forget that there's not just one universal English. Even for native speakers, these different "Englishes" can be really confusing!

Australian English vs. American English vs. British English

Take Australian English, for example. I'm originally from the United States and I moved to Australia over seven years ago. I remember when went to the drugstore for the first time to buy some shampoo. Well, first of all, when I checked Google Maps for "Drugstores", there were no results. That's when I found out that in Australia, they're called chemists or pharmacies. So I found the nearest one, picked out my shampoo and took it to the register. The girl working there asked me about my day ... or at least I thought she did! Even though we both spoke English, after being in Australia for only a day I couldn't understand her accent or some of the words she was using!

Like a lot of native English speakers, I expected the differences between our versions of English to be small and easy to ignore, but it's important for us - and for students - to remember that these differences can be challenging (and fun)!

Pronunciation

The most obvious difference between Australian English, American English, and British English is in the accents or pronunciation. This difference is especially noticeable in vowel sounds. Check out Korean Billy's excellent YouTube videos for great explanations (and demonstrations!) of the different accents.

The letter can also be very tricky! American English is famous for its clear /r/ sounds, whereas British or Australian English lose the /r/ sound if it's at the end of a word or syllable. For example, the word "smarter" is pronounced /smɑrtər/ in American English, but /smɑːtə/ in British and Australian English.

In addition to the pronunciation of words, the intonation (the pitch of your voice) can be very different in different countries. For example, if a person asks a yes/no question in American English, their voice goes up at the end. But if a person asks that question in Australian English or British English, their voice would go down!

Australian English vs. American English vs. British English Intonation

And it gets even more confusing when you remember that in each country, there are many different accents! There's not just one "Australian English" pronunciation, there are several! For example, a person from Melbourne will sound slightly different to one from Cairns.

Vocabulary (especially slang)

The next difference you'll probably notice is in vocabulary. Lots of everyday words are different in different English-speaking countries, like candy (USA), sweets (UK) and lollies (AU).

There are also huge differences in slang! Casual words like "sanga" may be perfectly clear in Australia, but no one in the USA would know that they're talking about a sandwich! Check out these fun resources for more interesting slang differences:
Australian words that mean something different in the US
British words that mean something different in the US
Spelling

Australian English vs. American English vs. British English Spelling

Spelling is the next major difference between these different varieties of English. The good news is that here, there are only two spelling systems, not three! The UK and Australia share the same spelling, while the United States decided to create their own spelling system. (We've always been a little rebellious...) Here are some examples:

Australian English vs. American English vs. British English Spelling Table 1

Grammar

Probably the least noticeable difference between American English, Australian English and British English is grammar. There are only a few small examples, like collective nouns or past tenses.

Australian English vs. American English vs. British English Spelling Table 1

One other difference is the use of the Present Perfect (for example, I have eaten dinner already). This is much more common in Australian English and British English. In the United States, people will use the past simple more often - they would say, "I ate dinner already."

________

Sometimes the differences between Australian English, American English and British English can be frustrating and difficult. But you should remember that overall, these three varieties of English are more similar than different, and the little differences are what give a language its unique "flavor"!

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Australian English vs British English vs American English

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When you're learning English in a classroom, online or offline, it's easy to forget that there's not just one universal English. Even for native speakers, these different "Englishes" can be really confusing! Take Australian English , for example. I'm originally from the United States and I moved to Australia over seven years ago.

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The article shows a few Australian phrases needed to be learned by non-Australian for them to be able to understand Australians

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So, have you decided to study in Australia?

Are you planning a vacation in the land down under?

You have read about Australia...the fresh food, the gorgeous beaches, the sunshine and, of course, the KILLER ANIMALS!

Killer animals? Yes, we've got some of those. People love to talk about how all the animals in Australia want to kill you-everything from the crocodiles and sharks to the spiders, scorpions and snakes. Even the koala bears can attack!

But it's possible that you're more afraid of the language (Australian English) than you are of the Australian wildlife.

Your friends have told you all about Australian slang (or at least tried to). They might say "it sounds like another language" or "it's not even close to English!" Well, let me give you a brief "how to speak Australian" class.

We'll start by learning about the accent.

How to Speak Australian English

The first and most important thing to remember when practicing your Australian accent is to be lazy. Pronounce words slowly. Make your vowel sounds extra long. Pretend to be very tired when you speak and you'll sound like a native in no time. It's not very hard, just give it a try!

Here are three more ways to sound like an Australian when you speak English.

1. Skip letters at the ends of words. Australians skip the letters at the ends of many words. For example "what?" becomes "wha?" Meeting, going and trying change to meetin, goin and tryin.

2. Change letters at the ends of words. You must change the letters at the ends of some words. The words s uper, after, dinner and order become supah, aftah, dinnah and ordah.

3. Turn "oo" sounds into "ew" sounds. When words are spelled with "oo," then you need to change the sound you make when you pronounce these words. The best examples of this are pool, school and cool. Australians change these words to pewl, skewl and kewl.

Want to hear how all of this sounds when a native Australian is speaking English? Watch this fun video clip for a great demonstration.

For more examples of Australian English and other regional kinds of English, try FluentU. FluentU takes real-world videos-like music videos, movie trailers, news and more-and turns them into personalized language lessons, so you can learn to understand the language the way people actually speak it.

1. G'day

This word means many things. It can translate to " Hello " or "How are you?" Some people just say it when they make eye contact with another person on the street.

This is the most common Australian slang word you will hear while visiting.

The problem with this word is the pronunciation. It isn't "good day" or "geh-day." You have to cut the "g" sound short and emphasize the "day." Make sure that "day" is drawn out. It sounds similar to "daaey."

If you master this word, it's guaranteed that you'll make many friends!

2. Mate

This is simply a synonym for friend. We usually add this to the word "G'day."

For example, "G'day mate" means "Hello, friend." However, you can use "mate" in many other ways. If someone asks you how your weekend was, the typical reply from (male) Australians is " Maaaate." Used in this way, it means, "OMG! I can't even start to describe how awesome it was."

You can also use "mate" when you pass people on the street. If you make eye contact with a stranger, simply nod your head and say "mate" as a simple, casual greeting. This is a friendly way to acknowledge them.

3. How ya going?

This simply means, "How are you?"

"Ya" means "you" and "going" simply refers to how you are: good, sad, angry, excited. "Going" in this context means the act of being alive or existing. So, the person is actually asking how you're feeling or how your day is/was.

Let's try using the above three vocabulary words and phrases in a sentence together. They're often used together as a friendly greeting! For example:

"G'day mate! How ya' going?"

4. Crikey!

This word is an interjection. An interjection (also called an exclamation), as you know, may have no grammatical connection to a sentence. An interjection is sometimes followed by an exclamation mark (!). "Crikey," being an interjection, is almost always followed by an exclamation mark.

Most Australians grow up hearing this word. The word is used as an exclamation of surprise or bewilderment. It can also mean "wow!" For example:

"Crikey! Did you see the size of that snake?"

"Crikey" is mainly used by older generations but became popular again when the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, became famous.

5. Streuth

There's another Australian word that's a synonym for "crikey." If you forgot, a synonym is a word or phrase that means the same or nearly the same as another word or phrase. For example, "shut" is a synonym for "close." In the same way, "streuth" is a synonym for "crikey," so we can use either one to express the same thing.

"Streuth" has a particular pronunciation, so you need to pay attention to this. It's pronounced like "Strooooth."

There's an emphasis on the "ooo" sound and it must be drawn out (or in other words, pronounce the word in the laziest way you can!). Like the word "crikey," it's an exclamation of shock. For example:

"Streuth! You were nearly attacked by a shark?!"

6. Fair dinkum

The word "dinkum" began in the Australian goldfields. "Dinkum" originally came from a Chinese dialect and can be translated to mean "true gold" or "good gold." There were many Chinese people searching for gold in Australia in the 1800s. Isn't it interesting to find out that some Australia English has Chinese origins?

It's an important piece of Australian English so you must be able to use it in the correct way. You say "fair dinkum" when you want to state a fact or truth. For example:

"It's true mate! Fair dinkum."

"Fair dinkum! That is a lot of gold."

7. Heaps good

Young Australians like to replace the word "very" with "heaps." So, this phrase literally means "very good."

It shows that something you have done, eaten or achieved is very, very, very good.

Australians are used to hearing teachers say, "very good work, Emma" or parents state "you have been very good today, here is your reward." Because of this, young Australians became so sick and tired of hearing "very good" that we simply created our own version of the phrase. Adults and seniors understand this phrase, but it's most commonly used by Australians aged 10-20.

Anne: How was your vacation?

Bob: It was heaps good.

8. Fully sick

If you like the beach, then this word is for you! Use the adverb "fully" and add "sick" to it.

The word "fully" means "completely" or "entirely." Used alone in a sentence we would say "I fully understand the math equation." So, we know that this phrase is describing something as "sick" to the fullest extent.

But why sick? Isn't it bad to be sick? Well, when we say "fully sick," it doesn't mean that a person is really sick. It means the opposite!

"Fully sick" means "This is great!" or "very good quality." Most surfers use this phrase when they talk about the ocean. For example:

Adam: The surf were fully sick today!

Julie: Fully sick!? How big were they?

Adam: They were at least 4 foot. Man, I caught so many fully sick waves!

We can also use this word to describe parties, cars and things that you like.

Adam: Check out my fully sick ride!

Julie: Wow, nice car! Fully sick!

9. True Blue

This is the last phrase and probably the most important one in the Australian vocabulary. This means "the real thing." The color blue represents loyalty and truth. So the phrase "true blue" describes something as genuine, real and honest.

Watch this video clip by John Williamson. The man is standing and singing in a shed. He's in the Outback (out in the rural part of Australia). The music video shows many types of Australians: firefighters, business owners, plumbers, electricians and aboriginals. These people are "true blue." They're all real, honest Australians.

See if you can pick out any other words that you don't know. There's even more Australian slang out there to learn!

To make it easier to understand how you'll use your new Australian English, here are all the words and phrases you just learned in a sample conversation:

Adam: G'day mate! How ya going? How was your weekend?

John: G'day. Yeah, my weekend was heaps good. I went to the beach and had a barbecue with my mates. It was a true blue weekend.

Adam: Sounds great! How was the beach?

John: The beach was fully sick! Fair dinkum, I caught 5 waves and then took a break. But crikey! I was nearly bitten by a shark!

Adam: Streuth mate! Are you okay? I wished I had come with you, but now I'm glad I didn't. I'm afraid of sharks.

John: True blue! Next time...see you later!

Adam: Bye!

If you master these Australian English words and phrases, you'll have no problem speaking to any true blue Australian.

Also, they'll be so happy and excited that you studied their culture and their unusual language-they'll definitely invite you to their next barbecue and introduce you to their mates!

If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn English with real-world videos.
Experience English immersion online!

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9 Australian English Phrases You Need to Befriend Aussies

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So, have you decided to study in Australia?Are you planning a vacation in the land down under?You have read about Australia...the fresh food, the gorgeous beaches, the sunshine and, of course, the KILLER ANIMALS!Killer animals? Yes, we've got some of those. People love to talk about how

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The article is about how Australian English differs from British and American English

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Australian English; How is it Different from British and American English?

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Australian English is different from British and American English in that it has a bias towards invention, deception, profanity, humour and a classless society. At times, this can make it almost impossible to understand and quite offensive to speakers accustomed to formality. It reflects Australia's identity conflicts born out of its penal history.