Proto-English
Proto-English was a form of English language spoken in Western Europe by Germanic tribes. It eventually formed into Old English by the end of the Roman Empire.[1][2]
| Proto-English | |
|---|---|
| ᛟᛝᚷᛚᛖ | |
| Pronunciation | [ˈɒŋgle] |
| Era | 420–550 |
| Language family | Indo-European
|
| Early forms: | Proto-Indo-European
|
| Writing system | Futhorc |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | ang |
Formation
Proto-English formed around the 200s by Germanic tribes such as the Angels, Saxons, Frisians, Jutes and possibly the Franks. Much of the information about Proto-English comes from Germania.
Development
Proto-English developed significantly over time:
- It separated from Proto-West Germanic around the year 392.
- Next it became Old Ingvaeonic, which divided between Old Saxon and "Proto-Anglo-Frisian" around 411
- Then around 420, it became a independent language from "Proto-Anglo-Frisian"
- In 476 the West Roman Empire fell
- Around the year 550, Proto-English evolved into Old English and its dialects.
Proto-English Media
Proto-English (early Anglo-Saxon) and the West Germanic languages c. 476 AD.
The first page of the Beowulf manuscript
The opening prologue of "The Wife of Bath's Tale" from The Canterbury Tales
The percentage of modern English words derived from each language group:Anglo-Norman French, then French: ~29%Latin, including words used only in scientific, medical or legal contexts: ~29%Germanic: ~26%Others: ~16%
The title page from the second edition of the first Dictionary of the English Language, 1755
The long and short vowels of English, pronunciation 1400 to today.
The dialects of Old English c. 800 CE
The dialects of Middle English c. 1300
References
- ↑ Snow, Donald. English Teaching as Christian Mision: An Applied Theology (27 April 2001)Herald Press. ISBN 9780836191585.
- ↑ Burke, Susan E. ESL: Creating a quality English as a second language program: A guide for churches (1998). Grand Rapids, Michigan: CRC Publications. ISBN 9781562123437.
