Evolution doesn’t just apply to us ‘forest living walking talking beings who lost their fur’, the term also applies to the evolution of language.
Introduction
Language, like a river, flows through time, carving its path across centuries and continents. British English, with its rich tapestry of influences, has undergone a fascinating evolution. In this blog post, we’ll embark on a linguistic adventure, tracing the historical development of grammar rules in British English. Buckle up, fellow language enthusiasts, as we ride through the ages!
1. Old English: Germanic Roots
Our journey begins in the misty past, around 450 CE, with Old English. Picture a landscape dotted with mead halls, where warriors recite epic poems. Old English was a synthetic language, akin to modern German, boasting three genders, flexible word order, a robust case system, and intricate verb morphology1. But winds of change were blowing.
2. Middle English: The Great Transformation
By the Middle English period (around 1100 to 1500 CE), the language had morphed. What caused this shift? External influences! Waves of contact with other languages—Celtic, Latin, Scandinavian, and later French—reshaped English. The Vikings arrived, leaving their mark on place-names and dialect vocabulary. The once-synthetic language became analytic, with fixed word order and fewer inflections1. Imagine Chaucer’s tales echoing through medieval streets.
3. The Celtic Connection
The Brittonic Celtic languages—Welsh, Cornish, and Cumbrian—played a pivotal role. As the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes settled in Britain, the indigenous population shifted to English. Intensive contact led to restructuring, simplifying morphosyntax. Goodbye, grammatical gender; hello, streamlined inflections1.
4. The French Influence
In 1066 CE, the Norman Conquest brought French to England. French loanwords flooded in, enriching English vocabulary. Words like “cuisine,” “ballet,” and “champagne” waltzed into our lexicon. French influence extended beyond vocabulary—it affected syntax, too. The prescriptive grammar of the time emphasized correctness, aligning with French norms2.
5. Renaissance and Latin
The Renaissance sparked renewed interest in classical learning. Latin, the language of scholars, seeped into English. Grammar rules were influenced by Latin models. Lindley Murray, a grammarian of the early 19th century, even cited “grammatical authorities” to distinguish English cases from Ancient Greek or Latin3.
6. Modern English: A Global Melting Pot
Fast-forward to today. English, a global lingua franca, borrows from over 300 languages. It’s an insatiable borrower, welcoming foreign words with open arms. From Dutch (“landscape”) to Hindi (“bungalow”), our lexicon is a vibrant mosaic. Accents, once aids to reading, now evoke nostalgia in words like “naïve” and “résumé”4.
Conclusion: A Living Tapestry
British English’s evolution of language is a testament to its resilience. It absorbs, adapts, and thrives. So, next time you sip your “espresso” while pondering Old English runes, remember that language is a living tapestry, woven by countless hands across time and space.
And there you have it—a glimpse into the fascinating journey of British English grammar. From mead halls to global communication, each twist and turn shapes our linguistic landscape. So, fellow travellers, let’s continue exploring the ever-evolving world of words!
About Emma
As an introvert haunting the corners of storytelling festivals, it’s incredibly difficult to track Emma down. She’s best known for writing Scottish fiction about working-class women and communities and their misrepresented lives. You can ask for writing help here, or find her recent book A Gypsy’s Curse here.
Emma Parfitt, February 6th 2019.
© Helen Pugh Photography
Tel: 07837533051
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