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== The History of the English Language ==

== The History of the English Language ==

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<ref>An attempt to translate some Modern English words into Old English exists at http://home.comcast.net/~modean52/new_to_old_english_t.htm .</ref> 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 about as long ago as the time when the Roman empire fell, around A.D. 450.  Old English<ref>An attempt to translate some Modern English words into Old English exists at http://home.comcast.net/~modean52/new_to_old_english_t.htm .</ref> 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.  

A good dictionary will provide a date of origin for 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 in the case of "homeschool".

A good dictionary will provide a date of origin for 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", from about 1980, have more recent dates of first use.

One can spend hours enjoyably 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. One can piece together much of English history simply by reading a dictionary!

One can spend hours enjoyably 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. One can piece together much of English history simply by reading a dictionary!

The date of origin of a word can even resolve historical debates.  Some (including your instructor) feel that "genocide", which is the mass killing by government of a particularly ethnic group, arose only after the development of the evolutionary theory of "survival of the fittest," and gun control by centralized governments to remove the ability of citizens to defend themselves.<ref>Note that gun control would have been impossible under feudalism, because there was no centralized government workers on the manors had their own weapons.</ref>  Because the "survival of the fittest" theory was not taught until the late 1800s, genocide did not occur prior to the 20th century.  Others, particularly promoters of the evolutionary theory, claim that genocide occurred earlier also.  But look in the dictionary at the date of origin of the word "genocide": 1944.  If it had occurred in prior centuries, then a word would have developed to describe it.

The date of origin of a word can even resolve historical debates.  Some (including your instructor) feel that "genocide", which is the mass killing by government of a particular ethnic group, arose only after the development of the evolutionary theory of "survival of the fittest," and gun control by centralized governments to remove the ability of citizens to defend themselves.<ref>Note that gun control (or in times before guns, close government regulation of any weapons) would have been impossible under feudalism, because there was no centralized government, and workers on the manors had their own weapons.</ref>  Because the "survival of the fittest" theory was not taught until the late 1800s, genocide did not occur prior to the 20th century.  Others, particularly promoters of the evolutionary theory, claim that genocide occurred earlier also.  But look in the dictionary at the date of origin of the word "genocide": 1944.  If it had occurred in prior centuries, then a word would have developed to describe it.

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.  It is not surprising that numbers would originate earlier than most (but not all) other words, as numbers were essential in keeping track of people and things.

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.  It is not surprising that numbers would originate earlier than most (but not all) other words, as numbers were essential in keeping track of people and things.