Dec 30 2008
To begin at the Beginning
It is difficult to say when exactly the English language started. Some say it could have started with the Celts, the original inhabitants of what is now called England. But it is largely accepted that we can trace the origins of this great language to the Anglo-Saxons, who occupied the country. From then on, English language grew and evolved, borrowing liberally from anyone it met. In fact most of the major languages in the world have contributed to the growth of English! Greek, Latin, French and German were some of the earlier languages to donate their vocabulary to English. When England had a French ruler for a period of time, French was given precedence over the native English. French was the “court language” and hence the aristocracy spoke French while English became the layman’s language. Then came the era of colonization, this brought in words of African, India, West Indian and other origins. The industrial revolution, the world wars and the current burgeoning technology have all contributed to enriching this language. Though the London English was standardized, there was no way the scholars could check its growth. Wherever the British went, they left English behind. English has thus become a world language with as many versions as the regions in which it is spoken. It is due to its ability to adapt and adopt that the language is still alive and still developing.
