How Does English Language Change Over Time

In order for a language to survive and thrive, it must be adaptable and change with the times. This can definitely be seen in English, as it has gone through dramatic changes over the course of its life, to the point of being nearly unrecognizable. Stemming from the Germanic branch of the Proto-Indo-European mother language, English has existed since the invasion of Britain in AD 449. Although the changes in the language took place over many years, English can be divided into three main eras: Old English (449-1100), Middle English (1100-1500), and Modern English (1500-). The Old English era began when the Anglo-Saxons invaded and colonized Britain in 449. Even at this early stage in English’s life, the language was already a conglomeration

This began the transition from Middle English to the early form of modern English. Compared to the change from Old English to Middle English, this transition was much more minor, and more of the language transferred over to the new period. This is due to the invention of the printing press. Because the press allowed for mass distribution of written works, the language was able to stabilize and become unified throughout the nation. This also meant that any changes to the language were able to spread with relative ease.
Perhaps one of the most influential ways the printing press affected the development of language was with Samuel Johnson’s dictionary, written in the middle of the 18th century over a span of nine years. Johnson was a stickler for perfection, and took the time to define each word in detail, as well as providing the origin of the word and quotations from various other works using the word. Although he injected his own humor and biases into his work, the dictionary immediately gained a high reputation for being such a scholarly work of huge scope, and established the standard for dictionaries to this