A brief View On The History Of English Language

History of  English
The English language which is used today as a lingua – franca al over Nigeria and other Nations, developed out of Germanic dialect  that were brought to Britain during the course of the  5th and  6th centuries by Angles. The Saxon and the Jutes.  Until the 16000s however, English  remained a language  spoken  by relatively small number of people adn was confined  geographical to the Island of Britain.
The history of English language is divided  into three broad period: old English period (450-  1150) middle English period (1150 – 1500) and modern English period (1500 to date ).

Old English Period  
Old  English is the name used to designate  the language which  the  three Germanic tribes spoke after they settled in the English island.  He  Germanic tribes, the Angles (English ) The Saxons and the Jutes.  The Anges came from modern Demark and settled in North and central English. The land soon got its name from Engla- land and its language was to be Englisc. The Saxons came from modern West Germany, now was to be Englisc. The Saxons came from modern  West Germany,  now  Germany and settled  I n Southern part of the Island. The Jutes came from Jutland and the North  sea Coast around the mouth  of the river Rhine on t heir own part, occupied the South  -Eastern country of  Kent.

The tribes  started getting along  through inter-marriage etc. the  Angles and Saxon were however  the most numerous and persistent perhaps this accounts for the name  Aengle-land   Engle- land and today England. In its grammar, old English  resembled Latin. The nouns and adjectives were inflected for four and sometimes five as the case may be.
Example of old English
Old English Present day
Cytel Pillow
Cycene Kitchen
Cupper Cup
Disc Dish
Bisceop Bishop
The days  of the  week  as we have them today are from these Anglo-Saxon gods.
God of war wooden   Wednesday
God of Thunder Thunor or Thor   Thursday
The  northern venus Frig Friday
The minor war – god   tow Tuesday
A down goddess Eaustra Easter

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