HistoryoftheEnglishLanguage英语史全英文演讲.ppt

The very beginning of English（早期英语） The development of the English language can date back to as far as 500BC. According to historical record ,the earliest language used in Great Britain is Celtic. In 55 BC , the Roman conquered the Great Britain and had ruled there for more than 500 years , creating an opportunity for Latin to find its way into Britain and gradually take the place of Celtic as the official language. The history of the English language really started with the arrival of three Germanic tribes who invaded Britain during the 5th century AD. These tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes, crossed the North Sea from what today is northern Germany. At that time the inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language. But most of the Celtic speakers were pushed west and north by the invaders - mainly into what is now Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Old English (450-1100 AD) SUPER PK 大比拼 Early Modern English (1500-1800) Towards the end of Middle English, a sudden and distinct change in pronunciation (the Great Vowel Shift) started, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the 16th century the British had contact with many peoples from around the world. This, and the Renaissance of Classical learning, meant that many new words and phrases entered the language. Spelling and grammar became fixed, and the dialect of London, where most publishing houses were, became the standard. In 1604 the first English dictionary was published（OCAD牛津高阶）. Hamlets famous To be, or not to be lines, written in Early Modern English by Shakespeare. Some words from other languages Greek: geometry astronomy botany catastrophe thermometer French:comrade alloy surpass Spanish:banana coco mosquito Latin: violin pizza capsule habitual Late Modern English (1800-Present) The main difference between Early Modern English and Late Modern English is vocabulary. Late Mod