Lecture Notes: The Evolution of the English Language

Chapter One: A World Language

Global Usage: English is spoken worldwide across Europe, The Americas, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and various islands.
- First Language: 370-400 million people
- Second Language: Similar number
- Foreign Language: Hundreds of millions
Who Uses English?
- First Language Countries: Britain, US (learned as children)
- Second Language Countries: India, Kenya, Singapore, Papua New Guinea (used in education, business, etc.)
- Foreign Language Teaching: Schools around the world
International Communication: Science, medicine, business, pop culture, international traffic control (CPE and AIRPAK).
Historical Spread: British colonialism in North America, Caribbean, Australia, Asia, Africa, and South Pacific in 17th-19th centuries.
Industrial Revolution Impact: Britain’s industrial importance spread English usage.
20th Century Expansion: Air travel, international business, and technology enhanced spread.
Global Organizations: Many choose English as the working language.
Future Use: Remains uncertain but possible continued expansion.

Historical Study: Sir William Jones' study of Sanskrit, discovery of similarities with Latin and Greek.
Proto-Indo-European Origins: Language family developing from the Indo-European group.
Historical Movements: Celtic spread, Roman invasion of Britain (Latin influence), Germanic invasions (Jutes, Angles, Saxons).
Developing English: Influences from settlements leading to distinct dialects.

Period: 5th-12th centuries
Dialects: West Saxon, Kentish, Mercian, Northumbrian.
Influences: Limited Celtic borrowing, Latin from Roman-Christian influence.
Language Characteristics: Germanic roots, words and grammatical structures. Few Celtic words remain.
Literary Development: Adopting Old English for writings post King Alfred’s translation projects.
Viking Influence: Introduction of Old Norse words, simplification of language structure.
Alfred’s Contribution: Translation efforts, writings in English.

Norman Conquest 1066: William the Conqueror’s victory, Norman French influence becomes prominent among governing classes.
Language of Law and Literature: French and Latin dominate, English still spoken locally in various dialects.
Social Integration: Norman and English intermarriages increase English usage among Normans.
Decline of French Influence: King John’s loss of Normandy, rise in English national pride and language usage.
Legislation in English: 1362, first use of English in Parliament opening.

Period: Norman Conquest to 15th century.
Grammar Simplification: Loss of gender, case endings in nouns and adjectives, plural uniformity with -s.
Verb Changes: More regularized past tense with –ed; introduction of perfect tenses with 'have.'
French Influence: Significant borrowing of words, replacement of many Old English words.
Literature: Geoffrey Chaucer’s works, William Langland’s “Pier’s Plowman.”
Printing Press: William Caxton’s introduction, standardization of English spellings.
Regional Dialects: Continued diversity in speech, influenced by historical settlement patterns

Period: 16th century onwards
Vocabulary Growth: Influx of Latin, Greek, French, and other languages' words for new scientific terms and ideas.
Shakespeare: Extensively enriched the language with new words and phrases.
King James Bible: Widespread influence on English, introduction of poetic and archaic terms.
Grammatical Changes: Use of 'do' for questions and negatives, stabilization of verb endings.

17th-18th Century: Reaction to linguistic changes, efforts to standardize English
Early Dictionaries: Robert Cawdrey’s “A Table Alphabetical” and Samuel Johnson’s comprehensive dictionary.
Grammar Books: Influences from Robert Lowth and Lindley Murray, prescriptive grammar standardization efforts.
Emergence of Received Pronunciation (RP): Standard accent for educated classes.

19th-20th Century Vocabulary Expansion: New words from science, technology, global interconnections.
Oxford English Dictionary (OED): Comprehensive historical dictionary.
Technological Influence: Radio, television, and the internet influence pronunciation and usage.
Emerging Slang and Informal Writing: Growth of internet-based communication, new informal writing styles.

Early Settlers: Colonies in Virginia, Massachusetts, and influences from Native American languages.
Language Integration: Influences from Dutch, Spanish, French settlers, and African slaves.
Noah Webster’s Contributions: American dictionaries, standardize spelling, and pronunciation.
Modern Differences: Vocabulary and usage variances between British and American English.

Varieties of English: National standard varieties, regional accents, and dialects.
Influence of Other Languages: Caribbean Creoles, Spanglish, Singlish, Hinglish, Taglish.
Characteristics of Dialects: Unique vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation features.

Jargon: Specific to professional fields, often difficult for outsiders.
Slang: Informal, often group-specific, constantly evolving.
Influence of Media: US slang popularized globally, rapid spread through the internet.

Global Language: Likely to remain influential but may face competition from Mandarin, Spanish, Arabic.
Evolution: Continuing development of new slang, dialects, and potential new languages.
Technological Impact: Digital communication tools altering the way English is used and spread.
Possible Simplification: Future standardization trends, disappearance of complex sounds and grammatical structures.