Daily, Americans speak and write in a language that they consider very familiar to themselves. However, very few have probably stopped to think about the origins of their well-known language. Before the current spoken English language evolved, geographic and social isolation led to dialect differences amongst early Europeans. Scholars divide the history of the English language into three main periods: 1) Old English (also referred to as Anglo-Saxon), 2) Middle English, and 3) Modern English. An essential period in the establishment of our language was the Old English period.

The Old English period last from 450-1066 A.D. Until the year 450, England was not known as England. It was formally called Britain, and English was not spoken there. Most Britons spoke Celtic dialects. There were several contributing factors to the development of English. These include the Roman withdrawal from Britain circa 410, followed by the Pictish and Scotish uprising against the Celtic...