English Language Timeline.

Here is a "Timeline" of English language. You can see all the different influences that have shaped the development of English through history. Did you know that French (Norman French) was the language spoken in England (mostly by the higher social classes) for more than 300 years? And that because of the colonization of territories all over the world during the period of the British Empire, English has incorporated vocabulary from places as far away from each other as Bahamas, India, Canada or Australia? Did you know that there are words with the same or similar meaning that are different because they come from different languages (fate, destiny)?

Click on the image to enlarge it.





Different influences are indicated by different colours. An interesting way of having a quick look at how the language has evolved.

Bye.