The Rise of English Language
Nafis Kamal
Reg. No.: 13116003
Tasrul Jahan
Reg. No.: 13116005
Priyanka Barua
Reg. No.: 1311609
Tasneem E Zannat
Reg. No.: 13116004B.A. (Hons) in EnglishUniversity of Asia
Pacific
We are …
The Battle of Hastings
In 1066 at the Battle of Hastings, the Normans defeated
the English and start a century-long conquest of England.
And William (Duke of Normandy) crowns himself as the
ruler of England.
Result of the Battle of Hastings
English children became bilingual
Materials written in English became very scarce
Royalties and government officials began speaking French
More people adapted French language.
The Loss of Normandy
King John "lost" Normandy in 1204 . And The loss of Normandy in
1204 started the reestablishment of English.
The separation of the French and English Nobility
With the loss of Normandy, many nobles
had to decide where their allegiance lay . . .
France or England.
Philip, and later Louis, helped solve this
problem: he confiscated the land of many
nobles. Those who still had holdings in both
places were forced to give up one or the
other.
By 1250 the holdings had been divided and
there was no real reason for using French.
Promotion of National Feeling
The favour of foreigners in the
course of Henry III led to the
reaction against foreigners and
the national feeling is reflected of
having the knowledge of English
as an Englishman.
Provisions of Oxford
Provisions of Oxford, (1258), in English history, a plan
of reform accepted by Henry III, in return for the promise of
financial aid from his barons. It can be regarded as England’s first
written constitution. When English is used as a language of
constitution, the importance of the English language is increased.
The 100 Years’ War
The Hundred Years War (1337-
1453). It was between England
and France, and France defeated
by England. And England no longer
had any reasons to learn or use
French.
The Black Death
The first of these events was the
Black Death (1348), one-third of the
people in England died of the Black
Death between 1348 and 1351. With
the decreasing of the population,
the need to labor was increased. The
ruling classes were had to respect
the lower classes because they
needed them so much. This respect
leaded them to respect English too.
Latin and French Teachers and Scholars
Hundreds of Latin and French
teachers and scholars died
during the Black Death plague.
As a result faced a lack of
academicians versed.
French as a Language of Culture and Fashion
English was generally adopted in courts and schools in the 14th
century and at the end of 15th century, French was out of use as a
spoken language in England and was restricted as a language of
Culture and Fashion.
English in the Law Courts Soon after the Norman Conquest, French was the language of all
legal proceedings. But in 1356 proceedings in the courts of
London and Middlesex were ordered to be in English. And in 1362
the Statute of Pleading was enacted in the Parliament, and was to
go into effect in the following year. According to this statute all
lawsuits were to be conducted in English in England.
The Rise of the Middle Class
The Normans invaded England in 1066
and English became language of
middle class people. But The Hundred
Years’ War (1337-1453) and the Black
Death in 1349 caused the serious lack
of labour and the rise of the middle
class, among whom English was more
commonly spoken, which increases the
importance of English.
The Use of English in Writing
The last step in the gradual ascent of
the English language was its
employment in writing. It was only in
the fifteenth century that English
succeeded in replacing both. The
earliest letters written in English
appeared in the latter part of the
fourteenth century, although there
were few before 1400. Eventually,
after 1450 English letters were used
everywhere.An example of Middle English by Chaucer.
The Status of English in the 14th Century
The General Adoption of English, at the beginning of the fourteenth
century everyone in England knew English. At that time, both the
learned and unlearned understood English. And in 1362 the
Parliament was opened with a speech in English for the first time.
Such instances show that in the fourteenth century English was
again the principal tongue of all England.
Middle English Literature
The separation of the English nobility
from France around the year 1250,
and the spread of English among the
upper class. Thus the hundred years
between 1250 and 1350 is labeled the
Period of Religious and Secular
literature in English literature. The
period from 1350 to 1400 is called the
Period of Great Individual Writers.
References Baugh, C. Albert. Cable, Thomas. A History of English the Language, New Delhi, Replika Press Pvt. Ltd. 2009.
Drout, D.C. A History of English the Language. London. Hodder Education.2005.
Provisions of Oxford. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2010 ed.
“English and Its Historical Development”. English-Word Information. 15 November 2013.31 January 2014. http://wordinfo.info/unit/4208/ip:5/il:E
Giddens, Anathony . Sociology, Malden, Polity Pres. 2006.845-858
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