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[[World History Lecture One|1]]-[[World History Lecture Two|2]]-[[World History Lecture Three|3]]-[[World History Lecture Four|4]]-[[World History Lecture Five|5]]-[[World History Lecture Six|6]]-[[World History Lecture Seven|7]]-[[World History Lecture Eight|8]]-[[World History Lecture Nine|9]]-[[World History Lecture Ten|10]]-[[World History Lecture Eleven|11]]-[[World History Lecture Twelve|12]]-[[World History Lecture Thirteen|13]]-[[World History Lecture Fourteen|14]]

[[World History Lecture One|1]]-[[World History Lecture Two|2]]-[[World History Lecture Three|3]]-[[World History Lecture Four|4]]-[[World History Lecture Five|5]]-[[World History Lecture Six|6]]-[[World History Lecture Seven|7]]-[[World History Lecture Eight|8]]-[[World History Lecture Nine|9]]-[[World History Lecture Ten|10]]-[[World History Lecture Eleven|11]]-[[World History Lecture Twelve|12]]-[[World History Lecture Thirteen|13]]-[[World History Lecture Fourteen|14]]

In this lecture we recount how the Middle Ages ended:  with the Renaissance and the Reformation.  The Renaissance lasted from the 1300s to the 1600s, and it brought the Middle Ages to a close.   

In this lecture we recount how the Middle Ages ended:  with the Renaissance.  '''The Renaissance lasted from the 1300s to the 1600s, and it brought the Middle Ages to a close'''.   

“Renaissance” is a French word for “rebirth”.  This rebirth was in renewed respect for artistic and intellectual progress not seen since classical Greece and Rome.  The Merriam-Webster online dictionary describes “Renaissance” as follows:  “the transitional movement in Europe between medieval and modern times beginning in the 14th century in Italy, lasting into the 17th century,” which included “a flowering of the arts and literature” and “the beginnings of modern science.”<ref>http://www.m-w.com</ref>

“Renaissance” is a French word for “rebirth”.  This rebirth was in renewed respect for artistic and intellectual progress not seen since classical Greece and Rome.  The Merriam-Webster online dictionary describes “Renaissance” as follows:  “the transitional movement in Europe between medieval and modern times beginning in the 14th century in Italy, lasting into the 17th century,” which included “a flowering of the arts and literature” and “the beginnings of modern science.”<ref>http://www.m-w.com</ref>

   

   

The “Middle Ages” represent the “middle” between the great achievements of the ancient world and the Renaissance.  A poet named Petrach (1304-1374), discussed below, described the early Middle Ages as “Dark Ages” of social decay.  The “rebirth” or “revival” in the Renaissance was the rediscovery of the Roman and Greek cultures, as enhanced by Christianity.  The “new learning” was a new recognition of the ideas discovered and developed in the past in art, science and other fields of inquiry.

A poet named Petrach (1304-1374), discussed below, described the early Middle Ages as “Dark Ages” of social decay.  The “rebirth” or “revival” in the Renaissance was the rediscovery of the Roman and Greek cultures, as enhanced by Christianity.  The “new learning” was a new recognition of the ideas discovered and developed in the past in art, science and other fields of inquiry.

The earliest beginning of the Renaissance was the poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), discussed below, who is famous for writing ''Dante’s Inferno'' about Hell.  Another beginning date for the Renaissance is the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, when gunpowder and the cannon became essential parts of warfare.  This military defeat caused Greek (Byzantine) scholars to flee to Rome, bringing their scholarship with them.  They also brought their hostility to the Roman Catholic Church, causing changes to the religious order in Europe.

The earliest beginning of the Renaissance was '''the poet Dante''' Alighieri (1265-1321), discussed below, who is famous for writing ''Dante’s Inferno'' about Hell.  Another beginning date for the Renaissance is the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, when gunpowder and the cannon became essential parts of warfare.  This military defeat caused Greek (Byzantine) scholars to flee to Rome, bringing their scholarship with them.  They also brought their hostility to the Roman Catholic Church, causing changes to the religious order in Europe.

By the 1400s there were numerous great artists, and also advances in the existing Gothic Art.  By the year 1500 the High Renaissance was in full bloom.

By the 1400s there were numerous great artists, and also advances in the existing Gothic Art.  '''By the year 1500 the High Renaissance was in full bloom'''. But a schism in Christianity in Europe was just around the corner. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther founded Protestantism when he nailed 95 “Theses” or issues to the door of his Wittenberg Church in what is now Germany.  A decade later, in 1529, the English King Henry VIII founded another Christian denomination for an entirely different reason:  he wanted the pope to approve his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, and when the pope refused, the king founded the Church of England and seized all the property of the Catholic Church in England.  Other Protestant faiths also began in the 1500s, and the Catholic Church responded with an internal reformation of its own, often called the counter-reformation.  

But a schism in Christianity in Europe was just around the corner. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther founded Protestantism when he nailed 95 “Theses” or issues to the door of his Wittenberg Church in what is now Germany.  A decade later, in 1529, the English King Henry VIII founded another Christian denomination for an entirely different reason:  he wanted the pope to approve his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, and when the pope refused, the king founded the Church of England and seized all the property of the Catholic Church in England.  Other Protestant faiths also began in the 1500s, and the Catholic Church responded with an internal reformation of its own, often called the counter-reformation.  

But before we reach those events, let's first review the origin and development of the English language.  English does not come from Sanskrit or Hebrew or Greek or Latin. The Roman empire never conquered Germany, and English is a separate Germanic language.

But before we reach those events, let's first review the origin and development of the English language.  English does not come from Sanskrit or Hebrew or Greek or Latin. The Roman empire never conquered Germany, and English developed from Germanic people who settled in England.

== 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 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.  

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 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" (1980), have more recent dates of first use.

A good dictionary will provide the 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" (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 centralized nation-states in England and France.  The study of the origin of a word is known as "etymology".  

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 centralized nation-states in England and France.  The study of the origin of a word is known as "etymology".  

: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.

: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.

:18 I schal ryse, and I schal go to my fadir, and I schal seie to him, Fadir, I haue synned a3ens heuene, and bifore thee;

:18 I schal ryse, and I schal go to my fadir, and I schal seie to him, Fadir, I haue synned a3ens heuene, and bifore thee;

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

: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.

: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.

:21 And the sone seyde to him, Fadir, I haue synned a3ens heuene, and bifore thee ; and now I am not worthi to be clepid thi sone.  

:21 And the sone seyde to him, Fadir, I haue synned a3ens heuene, and bifore thee ; and now I am not worthi to be clepid thi sone.  

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.  The term "copyright" did not exist yet, and Shakespeare never published any of his plays in writing because he had no legal protection against someone copying his work; all his works were written and preserved after he died.  Here is the beginning of Mark Antony's famous speech in Shakespeare's famous play, ''Julius Caesar'':<ref>http://www.william-shakespeare.info/act3-script-text-julius-caesar.htm</ref>

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.  The term "copyright" did not exist yet, and Shakespeare never published any of his plays in writing because he had no legal protection against someone copying his work; all his works were written and preserved after he died.  Here is the beginning of Mark Antony's famous speech in Shakespeare's play named ''Julius Caesar'':<ref>http://www.william-shakespeare.info/act3-script-text-julius-caesar.htm</ref>

:Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

:Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

:And I must pause till it come back to me.

:And I must pause till it come back to me.

By the end of this famous speech Marc Antony had turned the crowd in favor of Caesar and against his murderer, Brutus.

By the end of this speech Marc Antony had turned the crowd in favor of Caesar and against his murderer, Brutus.

==Renaissance==

==Renaissance==