'Periods' of English

Old English: 5th Century

Before English, the languages of Britain were Celtic. English developed from the speech of the Angles, Jutes and Saxons (Anglo-Saxon). Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse (a North Germanic language) had a significant influence on the English Language. From this time onwards Latin was highly influential in the formation of English. Due to different areas of settlement different dialects were formed. At this time English was mainly a phonetic language and there was little consistency in written language. 

Middle English: 11th Century

French was the verbal language of the court and administration while Latin was used in written documentation, especially by the Church. English became prominent by the end of the Middle English period with writers such as Chaucer choosing to write in English rather than in French. Dialectal differences remained with marked  differences around the country.  

Early Modern English: 15th Century

William Caxton introduced the printing press from Europe and printed many works in English. He used the South East dialect as the basis for this new standard. This period saw a growing pride in English as many chose to write in English: Shakespeare, James I commissioned the Authroised Version of the Bible. 


Modern English: 18th Century

The English language had grown; words borrowed from Latin, Greek and around the world. Grammarians began to examine the structure and grammar of the language to establish patterns in the ways that people used language. This led them to create 'correct' ways of speaking and writing.


Present-day English: 20th Century.

English has become a global language due to the influence of the media, technology and travel.