Knowra Old English Old English Old English is the earliest recorded historical stage of English, used in England from roughly the fifth through the eleventh centuries. Its grammar and vocabulary differ substantially from those of modern English.
West Germanic languages : A branch of Germanic languages that includes English, German, Dutch, and Frisian. Old English belongs to this branch and shares many structural features with its relatives.
Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain : The migration and settlement of Germanic-speaking groups in Britain beginning in the fifth century. The settlers' speech developed into the earliest English varieties.
Beowulf : An Old English heroic poem about a Geatish warrior who fights Grendel, Grendel's mother, and a dragon. Its language and verse are the best-known sustained example of Old English poetry.
Middle English : The stage of English used from roughly the late eleventh century to the late fifteenth century. Its transition from Old English includes major changes in grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.
Old English grammar : The system of inflection, word order, and grammatical categories used in Old English. Its case endings and grammatical gender distinguish Old English from modern English.
Angles : A Germanic people associated with the migration to Britain and the name England. Their name became linked to the land and language called English.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle : A set of Old English annals recording events in England from the late ninth century onward. Its successive manuscripts reveal Old English as a language of historical record.
Modern English : The contemporary stage of English, descended through Middle English from earlier forms. Comparing it with Old English exposes changes in inflection, syntax, and word stock.
Old English phonology : The sound system of Old English, including its vowels, consonants, and stress patterns. Sound changes help explain why written Old English looks and sounds unlike later English.
Saxons : A Germanic people whose migrations and settlements shaped early medieval Britain and continental Europe. Their speech contributed to the Old English dialects established in Britain.
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