Paper Summary:

The paper describes how invasions from the Germanic tribes of the Jutes, Saxons and Angles, and bloody intertribal fighting, established Old English. The paper also discusses how isolation allowed the language to evolve on its own until the Norman conquest provided a Latin influence on the language. The paper then explains that the English language became a global one as a result of the warfare waged from the Isle of Britain and the British Empire.

From the Paper:

"English is often referred to as a "bastard" language due to the fact that it has so many sources. Though technically a Germanic language there is also a heavy Latinate influence that occurred over the millennia of English's spread, beginning in the time that Romans first set foot on the British Isles and continuing through direct and indirect influence from French, Spanish, and other romance languages; so much so that now less than half of the words in the modern English lexicon are actually etymologically rooted in the Germanic family (Marsh, 89). This kind of change is inevitable in any language where the speaking population is not in total isolation, and even then language may still adapt and develop as society changes. The unique history of the British Isles and the subsequent history and influence of the English-speaking world, however, makes the development of English especially volatile and interesting."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Anglik.net. "A Brief History of the English Language." Accessed 1 February 2009. http://www.anglik.net/englishlanguagehistory.htm
• Baugh, Albert C. and Thomas Cable. A History of the English Language. New York: Prentice Hall, 2001.
• English Club.com. "History of the English Language." Accessed 31 January 2009. http://www.englishclub.com/english-language-history.htm
• Marsh, George P. The Origin and History of the English Language. New York: Scribner, 1896.
• Merriam-Webster Online. "What are the Origins of the English Language?" Accessed 1 February 2009. http://www.merriam-webster.com/help/faq/history.htm

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