The Evolution of The English Language 02
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Sam HoqThe Evolution of The English Language 02
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Sam HoqThe Evolution of the English Language (Part 02)
At the dawn of this epoch, one's ability to speak a particular language was often utilized as a marker of
one's socioeconomic status. French was the language of the upper class, while an elevated version of old
English was used by those in the lower classes. Then, in the fourteenth century, English once again took
the lead, albeit this time it included some French vocabulary and grammar. In this era, the first
dictionary was compiled. More structure for the English language would result from this. Now there was
an exact meaning to words and a clear distinction between proper and wrong spellings. When trying to
grasp how much the English language has evolved from Middle English to Contemporary English,
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a great place to start. "When Aprille's shoes go black with soot. The
March draught has reached its depths. And swich licor was poured over every veyne. Which virtue
breeding provides the grain." Due to its clumsy language style and spelling, this framing story is almost
impossible to grasp for native speakers of current English. If this were written in modern English, it
would read, "When April, with its beautiful rains." has hacked a hole all the way through the core of
March's drought. And drenched every artery with it. Whose hand creates this beautiful flower?" This
story inside a story is much simpler to grasp. Middle English, shared by many European cultures, was
spoken by the first settlers in the Americas, but most of the language we use today is a product of
relatively recent changes. In a few respects, the United States and the United Kingdom are similar, yet
there are also some key differences. Though they share the same language, the British and American
English-speakers have distinct dialects and pronunciations. Words that end in -or, -er, -se, or -ction in
the United States are often spelt -our, -re, -ce, or -xion in the United Kingdom. It's fascinating to think
that our languages were once identical, but that once America gained independence from Britain, each
culture started to apply their language in its own unique way.
Similar to how many other aspects of contemporary life have changed, so too has the English language.
Since its inception in the early sixteenth century, Modern English has split into two distinct periods:
Early Modern English and Late Modern English. For three centuries, the English language remained
mostly unchanged from its early modern form. The Great Vowel Shift was the most significant
modification, since it resulted in more brief vowel sounds. Words and phrases spread rapidly as a
consequence of mass publication, which began with the invention of the printing press about this time.
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This resulted in the birth of the late modern period in English history. The era of late modern English
began in the nineteenth century and continues until the current day. Recent years have seen the greatest
increase in efforts to modernize languages. New technological advancements are the primary driving
force behind this. The pace of technological development has quickened in recent years. Texting is one
of the quickest and most convenient methods to get in touch with someone nowadays. When texting,
people often shorten words by changing their spelling, dropping vowels or replacing them with a
repeating letter, replacing letters with numerals, or even making up their own acronyms. Youth are being
influenced in a negative way by this sloppy use of language, spelling, and punctuation. Computer usage
is another example of how technological progress has influenced the evolution of language. Myspace,
Facebook, and Twitter are just a few of the social networking sites that have gradually altered the way
people communicate with one another.
As seen by the existence of Old English, Middle English, and Contemporary English, language is always
developing, and the English language may have undergone the fastest period of change. Changes in
spoken and written modes of communication may be gradual or dramatic, depending on the culture and
society in question. Language has been evolving to suit the demands of communication for ages, and
this will continue so long as communities and cultures do as well.
