English is the third most spoken first language in the world, but is also used by many as a second language. But how has English become so widespread that we can call it a world language?
The spread of English
English is spoken in many parts of the world. Some countries have English as an official language, for example the UK, Ireland, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, India, and South Africa.
About 402 million people speak English as their first language. Between 350 million and a billion people use English as a second language. In Norway, we use English as a second language.
Which other languages can be world languages?
Lingua franca
Lingua Franca is a term for a language that people use when they don’t have the same first language.
One example can be if you as a Norwegian are going to talk to a person from Germany. Neither of you knows the other’s language, so you must find a language that you both know, for example, English.
Mennesker på en åpen plass hvor alle er koblet sammen i hverandre.
Old English
In the 4th and 5th centuries, Old English was spoken in England. English was called Englisc at that time. The language came with the people called Anglo-Saxons. They came from Germany, the Netherlands, and southern Denmark.
Many Vikings came to England around the year 800, and the language got many loanwords from Norse.
Old English comes from the Germanic branch in the same way as for example Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish. Because of this, Old English has many similarities with Old Norse.
Here you can see parts of the poem Beowulf written in Old English and a translation into modern English:
Whew! Wé Gárdena in górdagum þéodcyninga þrym gefrúnon·hú ðá æþelingas ellen fremedon. Oft Scyld Scéfing sceaþena þréatum monegum maégþum meodosetla oftéah egsode Eorle syððan aérest wearð féasceaft funden hé þæs frófre gebád wéox under wolcnum weorðmyndum þah oð þæt him aéghwylc þara ymbsittendra fer hronráde hýran scolde, gomban gyldan· þæt wæs gód cyning.
Listen! We of the Spear-Danes in the days of yore, of those clan-kings heard of their glory, how those nobles performed courageous deeds. Often Scyld, Scef’s son, from enemy hosts from many peoples seized mead-benches; and terrorized the fearful Heruli after first he was found helpless and destitute, he then knew reward for that: he waxed under the clouds, throve in honours, until to him each of the bordering tribes beyond the whale-road had to submit, and yield tribute: that was a good king!
What do you think it would be like if it was Old English you learned at school today?
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Illustrasjon av vikingskip ute på havet
Middle English
In the 11th century, England was invaded by the Normans. The battle of Hastings in 1066 led to many problems, also for the language. William the Conqueror won the battle and became the king of England. French became the official language for the elite and priesthood because it was the French that ruled.
It must have been difficult when those who ruled spoke another language than the people.
The mixing of Old English and French led to Middle English.
The British Royal House still has a French motto: Dieu et mon droit (God and my right). Another thing is that in everyday language, you used English, while when you wanted to be more serious, you spoke French. For example animals on English farms are called pigs, sheep, and oxen, while the same animals have become pork, mutton, and beef in restaurants.
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Bayeux-teppet eller dronning Mathildes tapet er et 70 meter langt og 0,5 meter bredt brodert veggteppe i lin fra omkring år 1070. Det fremstiller normannerhertugen Vilhelm Erobrerens invasjon av England og slaget ved Hastings i 1066.
Modern English
Modern English came around the year 1500. Texts became more common, and more people learned to read. It was at this time that William Shakespeare lived and published his works.
It is not always easy to write. In the beginning, people wrote the words as they sounded. There were no rules for spelling. For example, there are up to ten different ways to pronounce the letter combination -ough.
Can you think of any examples of different pronunciations of words with -ough in them?
The Great Vowel Shift
The Great Vowel Shift happened at the transition from Middle English to Modern English. The long vowel sound changed, and many words got new pronunciations.
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Papir bakgrunn med William Shakespeares signatur
The British Empire
Great Britain colonized a quarter of the world’s land areas.
The English founded the first colonies in America in 1607. So English became an important language in North America.
The English language also spread through trade which started in India and in Africa and later also in South Asia and Australia. Many new borrowed words became a part of the language, such as shampoo and pajamas – both of which come from India.
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Kart med oversikt over Det britiske imperiet
How far back in time could you go and still understand English?
Papirbakgrunn
The post-war period
German and French were in use in Europe until the First World War. It was only after this war that English became more commonly used.
The economy in the US became better after the Second World War. This led to more trade, and English became an important language.
English in entertainment and technology
English became an important language in entertainment. American films, music, magazines and popular culture were spread to large parts of the world.
The English language has become stronger because of the Internet. Now we can communicate with people all over the world, and often in English.
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Global English
Papirbakgrunn
When do you use English?
In Norway, most children and young people use English when they watch YouTube, play games and watch films or series, while they use Norwegian when they read the news.
When do you use English in your everyday life?
En mobil med svart skjerm. Ikoner rundt en tekst der det står 'English'. Ikonene skal illustrere hvor man kan lære og bruke engelsk.
Sources:
- ICAL TEFL (03.01.2023): Old English vs Modern English
https://icaltefl.com/old-english-vs-modern-english/
- Politicworm (12.12.2022): How he spelled his name
https://politicworm.com/oxford-shakespeare/to-be-or-not-to-be-shakespeare/why-not-william/the-authorship-question-2/how-he-spelled-his-name/
- Wikipedia (19.12.2022): Great Vowel Shift
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Vowel_Shift
- OpenLearn (03.01.2023): From Old English to Modern English
https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/english-language/from-old-english-modern-english
- The education daily (03.01.2023): Why English became The Global Language
https://theeducationdaily.com/2021/08/why-english-became-global-language
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Getty Images / Yifan Chen – YouTube
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Getty Images / Yestervid– YouTube
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Getty Images / OpenLearn from The Open University – YouTube
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