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The development of the English language is divided into three periods":  Old English (also called "Anglo-Saxon"), Middle English, and Modern English (which we speak today).  Germanic tribes settled in England as long ago as about the time when the Roman empire fell, around A.D. 450.  Old English developed and was used until shortly after the Norman conquest of 1066, when Latin began to cause improvements in Old English and it upgraded to medieval Middle English.  Modern English is considered to have begun shortly after the end of the Middle Ages in 1500.  

The development of the English language is divided into three periods":  Old English (also called "Anglo-Saxon"), Middle English, and Modern English (which we speak today).  Germanic tribes settled in England as long ago as about the time when the Roman empire fell, around A.D. 450.  Old English developed and was used until shortly after the Norman conquest of 1066, when Latin began to cause improvements in Old English and it upgraded to medieval Middle English.  Modern English is considered to have begun shortly after the end of the Middle Ages in 1500.  

Here is an example of Old English:

 

 

 

 

 

We cannot even understand Old English today, and it was somewhat primitive even when it was spoken.  Here is an example that concerns an early attempt by Pope Gregory to convert the Norman-Saxons to Christianity:<ref name="M-W">http://www.merriam-webster.com/help/faq/history.htm</ref>

 

:Eft he axode, hu ðære ðeode nama wære þe hi of comon. Him wæs geandwyrd, þæt hi Angle genemnode wæron. Þa cwæð he, "Rihtlice hi sind Angle gehatene, for ðan ðe hi engla wlite habbað, and swilcum gedafenað þæt hi on heofonum engla geferan beon."

 

Some simple pronouns like "he" are recognizable, as are the Old English equivalents of verbs like "were".  Here is what that passage means, according to Merriam-Webster:<ref name="M-W"/>

 

:Again he [St. Gregory] asked what might be the name of the people from which they came. It was answered to him that they were named Angles. Then he said, "Rightly are they called Angles because they have the beauty of angels, and it is fitting that such as they should be angels' companions in heaven."

Here is an example of Middle English:

John Wycliffe was nearly 200 years ahead of "his time," meaning he was that far ahead of the Reformation that came later.  For that reason is called the "Morning star of the Reformation."<ref name="Wycliffe">http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/john-wycliffe.html</ref>  A brilliant scholar, Wycliffe developed his own views of Christianity and attracted a following of itinerant preachers known as the "Lollards".  Wycliffe simplified aspects of Christianity for peasants who otherwise had difficulties understanding it, such as developing a doctrine of the Lord's Supper in only twelve short sentences, and having his itinerant preachers teach that everywhere.  The chancellor of the University of Oxford pronounced some of Wycliffe's theories as heretical.  Wycliffe eventually criticized scholasticism, monasteries, and papacy, and became increasingly disliked by the English royal hierarchy.

A good dictionary will provide a date of origin of a word, and old dates are "13c" or A.D. 1200.  For example, the date of first use of the word "chase", meaning "the hunting of wild animals," is listed by Merriam-Webster dictionary as "13c". More modern words, such as "homeschool", have more recent dates of first use, such as 1980 the case of "homeschool".

Here is the Parable of the Prodigal Son from Wycliffe's English translation of the Bible in 1389 (compare it to your own at Luke 15:11-21):<ref>http://pages.towson.edu/duncan/LukeMEPDE.htm</ref>

One can spend hours enjoyable learning about the history of human thought simply by looking at when words were first created for important concepts. For example, by looking up the word "tyranny" in the dictionary we see that it was developed in the 14th century (1300s), which was about the time that feudalism was being replaced by nation-states in England and France. There would have been no concept of "tyranny" under feudalism before that time. One can piece together much of English history simply by reading a dictionary!

:12 And the 3ongere seide to the fadir, Fadir, 3yue to me the porcioun of substaunce, that byfallith to me. And the fadir departide to him the substaunce.

:13 And not aftir manye dayes, alle thingis gederid to gidre, the 3ongere sone wente in pilgrymage in to a fer cun<!---->tree; and there he wastide his substaunce in lyuynge leccherously.

:14 And aftir that he hadde endid alle thingis, a strong hungir was maad in that cun<!---->tree, and he bigan to haue nede.

:15 And he wente, and cleuyde to oon of the citeseyns of that cun<!---->tree. And he sente him in to his toun, that he schulde feede hoggis.

:16 And he coueitide to fille his wombe of the coddis whiche the hoggis eeten, and no man 3af to him.

:17 Sothli he turned a3en in to him silf, seyde, Hou many hirid men in my fadir hous, han plente of looues; forsothe I perische here thur3 hungir.

:19 Now I am not worthi to be clepid thi sone, make me as oon of thi hyrid men.�

:20 And he rysinge cam to his fadir. Sothli whanne he was 3it fer, his fadir sy3 him, and he was stirid by mercy. And he rennynge to, felde on his necke, and kiste him.

The oldest dates or origin are for numbers.  The number "six", for example, is listed as having an origin of "bef. 12c," which means before A.D. 1100.  That places the date of first use of simple numbers as before Middle English, and originating with Old English.

Shakespeare, the greatest playwright in world history, wrote in English around 1600.  He used modern English, but the language has changed much in 400 years since then. His language was easily understood then, but some parts are difficult to understand today.  Here is part of Marc Antony's famous speech in Shakespeare's famous play, ''Julius Caesar'':

==Renaissance==

==Renaissance==