CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BRIEF HISTORY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE
As indicated in the introductory part, this chapter of the study is going to examine the work of other linguists or scholars that are applicable to the subject under investigation. We are also going to examine different phonological theories and their relevance to the subject. We need to know about the historical invention of English language.
The family of languages to which English belongs to is called Indo-European, a name which derives from the geographical range over which these languages were spoken before some of them spread to the new world “INDO” – refers to the fact that many of the daughter languages from earliest recorded times were spoken on the Indian Subcontinent and “EUROPEAN” – refers to the fact that from equally early times, most of the languages of Europe are descended from that common ancestor too.
From an anonymous 5th century chronicles we learn that in 441 – 442 the Germanic tribe of Saxons conquered Britain. after prolonged harassment. Another version was given by a Celtic preacher and chronicler Gilda’s says that the Saxons were invited to Britain to assist in protecting the Island from an invasion from the North, they were given lands and allowed to settle in the eastern part of Britain.
The authoritative Ecclesiastical History of the English People written in 731 by the English cleric and historian venerable Adams Bede dates the first landing of the Germanic Wamosin Britain to the year 449.
The Celts were the first settlers of Britain, they were subdued and eventually ruled and sheltered by the Romans. They were ruled by Romans for 400 years, Celts were defenseless, the languages spoken then was Angle-ish and the name of the country England comes from Angle-land. The Romans loose their grip on Angle-land territory because maintaining occupation forces is so expensive so the Romans were conquered by the barbaric Germanic tribe, they had influence on the English language. Celtic was the first Indo-European tongue spoken in England, it also has influence on English language.