Bihar Board Class 12th
Story of English
CHAPTER 2
ENGLISH DOWN THE AGES
The importance and
usage of the English language in our modern and globalized world creates the
impression that it is the language spoken by the maximum number of people all
over the world. However, it is interesting to know that Mandarin Chinese,
spoken by approximately 879,000,000 people holds this distinction. English is
spoken by about 309,000,000 people, though it is a language which has its
presence in all parts of the world and its power is felt the world over. Hindi
is the third in terms of the number of speakers in the world. Another
surprising fact is that English is just about fifteen hundred years old and the
langutge we are familiar with is less than five centuries old! Moreover, this
language has given expression to world class literature in all genres.
Shakespeare, Wordsworth. Milton and many others are still considered the
greatest masters of their art and are relevant fortheir ideas and literary
genius. The following facts will enable you to understand the reasons which
have transformed the once humble East Midland Dialect to a position of
unparalleled greatness in our times.
PERIODS IN THE HISTORY OF ENGLISH
The evolution of
the English language from the beginnings in the Anglo-Saxon times to the modern
era has been an unbroken onc. We can distinguish three main periods in the
history and growth of the language in the following manner.-
Old English (OE) - AD 449-AD
1066
Middle English (ME)-AD 1150-AD 1500
Modern English-AD 1500 onwards
OLD ENGLISH
Throughout this
period English continued to be the language of everyday speech for the common
mass. The divisions made above are more for convenience but it is possible to
distinguish certain linguistic features in each of these periods. The OE period
is characterized by inflections. Gradually over a period of time these
inflections were found to have been levelled. Literature produced during the
age was not of much significance, as court patronage was lacking and the age
came to be known as the Dark Age.
MIDDLE ENGLISH
From 1150 onwards
English began to emerge as a language of literature. The language was enriched
through extensive borrowings from French and Latin. Apart from this two other
major developments occurred-one was the invention of the printing press in 1476,
the other being a considerable rise in literacy. The Great Vowel Shift also
took place during this time. All these factors contributed tremendously to
creating a language for both spoken and written purposes.
MODERN ENGLISH
English used since
AD 1500 till now is called Modern English. Recently, this period is being
sub-divided into Modern and New English. From the beginning of the Modern
period to the end of the 19th century, English was basically the language of
the British Isles. With the territorial expansion of the British Empire,
together with the growth of science, industry, politics and literature, the
English language enriched itself by successfully adding to its vocabulary, and
the flavour of the countires the British had colonised. In the twentieth
century, the erstwhile colonies of the British Empire acquired freedom. The
British left the countires, but English remained. Hence new varieties of
English have emerged in different parts of the world. Some of these are American
English, Indian English, Canadian English, etc. In simple terms the latest
period in the growth and development of the English language may be called the
era or period of "New Englishes", This new terminology is enough to
indicate how the language manifests itself and moulds to serve the basic
purpose of human communication. The story of the English language is like a
flowing river, meandering across continents, absorbing the native soil and
entering the hearts of the people. No surprise therefore if the people all over
the world have accorded the status of an International Language to English.
In the era of globalization English has been found suitable as the language of
international communication. It has also equipped itself to serve as the language
of the present Cyber age.
In the next few pages we will discuss the characteristics of the
English language which have contributed to its growth and development.
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