2007-02-07 08:13:43 · 4 answers · asked by Irnbru 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Modern English dates from 1500. You could probably understand someone speaking English from that time, perhaps with difficulty. Earlier versions are Middle English (1100 to 1500) and Old English (500 to 1100). These would be unintelligible to a current English speaker.
As noted, the ancestor of English is a Low German language related to Frisian from the North Sea area. Frisian survives in that area, and is the closest relative of English.
So, English as it now exists is about 500 years old. English as a separate language is about 1500 years old.
2007-02-07 11:10:36 · answer #1 · answered by dollhaus 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
English is an Anglo-Frisian language brought to southeastern Great Britain in the 5th century AD by Germanic settlers from various parts of northwest Germany (Saxons, Angles) as well as Jutland (Jutes).
2007-02-07 16:22:28 · answer #2 · answered by ♫Rock'n'Rob♫ 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_English_language
2007-02-07 16:22:46 · answer #3 · answered by Danny 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
old
2007-02-07 16:27:04 · answer #4 · answered by Marty 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋