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Pre-Old English          

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The Pre-English Period:  Pre 450 AD

Period Introduction:  Although English shares its distant roots with many other languages, English did not evolve as a separate distinct language until about the middle of the fifth century AD.  However, the events that transpired during this earlier period are central to understanding the eventual birth and evolution of the English language.

6000 BC - Proto-Indo-European evolves as the common ancestor of most European languages spoken today, including Latin and the modern Romance languages, the Germanic languages including English, the Indo-Iranian languages including Hindi, Persian and Sanskrit, the Slavic languages and Baltic languages including Latvian and Lithuanian, Serbo-Croatian and Russian, the Celtic languages including Irish Gaelic, Scots and Welsh, and the Hellenic languages including Greek.  In total, this single original Proto-Indo-European language source will spawn at least 60 distinct languages, most of which are still widely spoken today.  The most widely accepted theory is that this ancient civilization originated somewhere in northern central Europe, north of the Black Sea, possibly in Central Ukraine.  This premise is based on our knowledge of nature and the words that originated and have been passed down from these earliest origins, as well as words that did not exist in this ancient language.  A few cognate words (words of common origin) that have been passed down to English (and all other Proto-European derived languages) include many of the names for trees - alder, apple, ash, aspen, beech, birch, elm, hazel, linden, oak and willow.  A few other cognates originating from this original language source include wolf, bear, work, fire, heart, head, foot, night, star, snow, sun, moon, wind, wheel, axle, yoke, and mead.  About one-third of the human race currently shares this common source for their first language.

3000 BC – The break-up and broad relocation of this original Proto-Indo-European civilization is now well underway as a result of two innovations: the horse and the wheel.  Some travel east, establishing the Indo-Iranian languages of the Caucusus, India, Pakistan and Assam.  Others travel west to what is now Greece, Italy, Germany and the Baltic.  This migration resulted in the emergence of numerous distinct but related language families that are now spoken in some form by half of the world’s population.

1000 BC - After many migrations, the various branches of Indo-European become distinct. During this period, Celtic becomes the most widespread branch of Indo-European in Europe; the Celtic peoples inhabit what is now England, Spain, France and Germany.  In Britain, a new warrior class emerges and begins to take a central role in society.  Historically referred to as the “Urnfield Civilization”, one of the biggest impacts these people are having on Britain is the introduction and acceptance of their native Celtic language.

500 BC – Celtic customs and artifacts are now prominent in Britain.  More and varied types of pottery appear as well as the Celtic style of decoration and jewelry. There was no known invasion of Britain by the Celts; they probably gradually infiltrated into British society through trade and other contact over a period of several hundred years; Druids, the intellectual class of the Celts (the word “Druid” means "the hidden people"), begin a thousand year reign of religious dominance.  The Celtic Languages now dominate Britain, having replaced the obscure languages of the original tribal inhabitants.

400 BC – The Celtic language family now dominate most of Western Europe from the west coast of France to as far east as the Black Sea.  Originally consisting of dozens of varieties, only Irish Gaelic, Scots, Gaulish, Manx, Welsh, Cornish and Breton still exist as living languages today.  The Germanic language family dominates Northern Europe. North Germanic will evolve into the modern Scandinavian languages of Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Icelandic, and West Germanic will evolve into modern-day English, German, Dutch, Flemish, Frisian and Yiddish.  East Germanic and its primary language, Gothic, Vandalic and Burgundian no longer exist, and probably disappeared in the fourth or fifth century.  The Italic language family settled in modern-day Italy producing Latin and then evolving into Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian and Romanian.  This modern-day language group, known as the Romance Languages, derives its name from the fact that these languages originated from Latin, the language of ancient Rome.

55 BC – The first Roman invasion of Britain under Julius Caesar takes place, with a second invasion occurring the following year in 54 BC.  Caesar's first two expeditions to Britain were exploratory in nature, and were not intended to fully conquer and subjugate Britain.  British forces, led by Cassivellaunus, mount an effective defense.  However, a deal between the Roman commander and Trinovantes (a tribal enemy of Cassivellaunus) and subsequent desertions by Cassivellaunus’s allies give Rome their victory.  In 5 AD, Rome formally acknowledges Cymbeline, King of Catuvellauni, as king of Britain.  Over the next 100 years, Rome’s influence in Britain steadily increases, even tough they have no active troops in Britain, a result of new economic and social contact with the continent.  As the language of the conqueror, Latin starts to influence Celtic society and the Celtic languages through borrowed words and by virtue of its status.

43 AD – The full-scale invasion of Britain by the Romans starts, and in 51 AD, the last of the serious resistance led by Togodumnus and Caratacus is put down.  In 77 AD, Wales is finally subdued, and the Roman conquest of Britain is complete.  Rome is firmly in control.  Despite a long occupation that will last 400 years, the Celts continued to speak their own language, although Latin, the language of their Roman rulers, is used for official purposes and is widely spoken.  For the most part, the British Celts and their Roman conquerors coexisted comfortably together.  By the time the typical Roman soldier arrived in Britain, he had spent 4 to 8 years fighting his way through Europe, and he had watched half of his comrades die along the way.  For many, the lure of “fighting for the glory of Rome” had lost its appeal and the prospect of fighting their way back through Europe and returning to Rome as equally unappealing.  Many chose not to return to Rome upon completion of their military service while many others choose to defect, settling and blending into British countryside, taking British wives, content to raise their families as government officials, business men and farmers.  As the Celtic languages and culture merge with Latin, the first foundations for what would become English are starting to emerge.

350 AD – The Picts and Scots, as well as the ferocious Germanic sea raiders the Romans called Saxons start to mount increasingly effective raids, challenging Rome’s hold on Britain.  Rome is increasingly unable to respond, the result of defections and a lack of replacement troops.  The entire Roman Empire is under constant threat from rebellion, and troops can no longer be sent to quell far-off disturbances on the edge of the Empire.  Every available man is now needed to defend the homeland from invaders as the Goths from Central Europe mount repeated attacks against Rome itself.  In 388, Magnus Maximus, a Spaniard, is declared Emperor of Britain by the Roman Garrison, and quickly lead a revolt against Rome in an act of treason.  His troops quickly conquered Gaul, Spain and Italy, and, for a time, he occupies Rome itself.  He was finally defeated by Emperor Theodosius, but before it is done, Britain has lost half of the troops Rome had committed to the islands defense.  Rome’s resources are now stretched to their limit; there are no replacement troops available to send to Britain.  In 402 AD, the elite Sixth Victrix legion, which has been defending the frontier against attacks by the Picts and Scots (Irish) are recalled to assist with the defense of Italy, leaving only one legion to defend all of Britain.  In 406 AD, the allied barbarian forces of Suevi, Alans, Vandals and Burgundians sweep into central Europe, severing all contact between Rome and Britain. In the autumn of 406 AD, the remaining Roman army in Britain decides to mutiny, and in 407 AD, under the leadership of Constantine III, cross over to Gaul to attack Rome.  This signaled the end of the Roman Empire in Britain, and in three short years, the Goths will sack Rome itself.  Meanwhile, the British-Celtic people who had been the allies of Rome would now face devastating attacks and near-annihilation at the hands of the Picts, Scots and in particular, the Saxons, Angles and Jutes of North-Western Europe.  The successive waves of Germanic invaders that followed would have an incredible and profound affect of the future of the world – one that would take more than a thousand years to fully realize.  It is here that a birth takes place - the birth of a new language – English.