OLD ENGLISH

THE OLD ENGLISH PERIOD (449-1100)

• pre-old English existed in Europe to separate English from their Germanic cousins. However, recording the history of English started on the British Isles.

Britain before English: - English migrated to Britain in 5th century - Britain was already inhabited by Celts for centuries before Julius Caesar invasion in 55 B.C. - Emperor Claudius, a century later, invaded Britain and changed it to Britannia as part of the Roman Empire. - Celts kept their language but learned to speak the language of the Roman rulers. - Around 410 Roman legionnaires were withdrawn and Pictsfrom the north and Scots from the west attacked the Celts. - They were supported by sea raiders called ‘Saxons’ -by the Romans- and all attacked the Celts.

BRITAIN BEFORE THE ENGLISH:

- The Roman army included many non-Italians (some Angles and Saxons)- Britons (Celts) asked for help from Rome against Picts and Scots. - Around 449, more Angles, Saxons, Frisians and Jutes arrived by boats from the Continent. - Old English period began around that time.- The term Anglo-Saxons used for either the language or its speakers

THE COMING OF THE ENGLISH:

- St. Augustine came at the end of 6th century to convert them to Christianity. - Britons (Celts) fled to Wales - Jutes settled in the Southeastern part - Saxons in the South of the Thames- Angles in the rest of England roughly.

• Germanic settlement consisted of 7 Kingdoms:

Kent, Essex, Sussex, Wessex, East Anglia,

Mercia, Northumbria.

The English in Britain:

- The Christian Germanic raiders who took Britain by force were attacked by other Germanic invaders (Vikings) in the 8th century. - In 865, Viking army landed in East Anglia and gained Eastern part of England. - 870, Vikings attacked Wessex, ruled by Ethelred, his brother Alfred assisted him and in 878, Alfred won signal victory.

THE FIRST VIKING CONQUEST

- Viking were called Danes by the English although there were Norwegians and Swedens. - Alfred’s son and grandsons (3 kings) were able to consolidate England in the 10th

century.

THE SECOND VIKING CONQUEST:- Later in 10th century troubles started again with new Vikings raiders - Danes settled and became neighbors with English. - Beowulf (OE poem concerned with Scandinavians) moved English people feelings towards those Danes.

- Changed feelings towards the Danes. - They belonged to the same family. - Danes and English lived side by side and settled. - Old English and Old Norse (Scandinavians language) had many words in common.

SCANDINAVIANS BECOME ENGLISH:

Four principal dialects were spoken in Anglo-Saxon England.

- Kentish, in Kent.

- West Saxon, south of Thames.

- Mercian, in Wales. (Standard Modern English is Mercian dialect)

- Northumbrian, north of Humber.

OLD ENGLISH DIALECTS:

المنصورأحمد،الشهريفيصل

Thank You