After discussing about the reason of English as universal language, one of the most important and serious thing in studying English is English history. It is absolutely suggested to know enough specific details of origins of the English language to support learners’ fully comprehension. At same point, no one would love something without knowing, and understanding of the thing: To Know Means To Love.
The history of English is conventionally divided into three periods; Old English (Anglo-Saxon), Middle English, and Modern English. Firstly, Old English, or known as Anglo-Saxon period in which begins with the migration of certain Germanic tribes in the seventh century to Britain. By that time, the Viking invaders’ language is Old Norse, especially Anglo-Norman French, the language of the dominant class, have a substantial impact on the lexicon, moreover, at this time the grammar of Old English had begun to breakdown, and had well-developed inflectional system.
Here are some differences that can be noticed. Even, it can be said that the words of Old English has survived in their forms, they are:
axode becomes asked,
hu becomes how,
rihtlice becomes rightly,
engla becomes angels,
habbað becomes have,
swilcum becomes such,
heofonum becomes heaven, and
beon becomes be.
Moreover, here can be seen clearly one of Old English’s Literary Works taken from Aelfric's "Homily on St. Gregory the Great", which is of course reformed into Modern English after all;
“Eft he axode, hu ðære ðeode nama wære þe hi of comon. Him wæs geandwyrd, þæt hi Angle genemnode wæron. Þa cwæð he, "Rihtlice hi sind Angle gehatene, for ðan ðe hi engla wlite habbað, and swilcum gedafenað þæt hi on heofonum engla geferan beon" (Old English)
“He asked what might be the name of the people from which they came. It was answered to him that they were named Angles. Then he said, "Rightly are they called Angles because they have the beauty of angels, and it is fitting that such as they should be angels' companions in heaven." (Modern English)
Finally, the most distinctive difference between Old and Modern English reflected in Aelfric's sentences is the elaborate system of inflections, of which we now have only remnants. Nouns, adjectives, and even the definite article are inflected for gender, case, and number.
The discussion here is hoped to make all the English learners know a little about the Old English that can be stated as the beginning of English. Also, it is hoped that the learners can summarize by themselves the comprehension of English, so that to know means to love can be the best and first step to study English.
