Republic of the Philippines

Laguna State Polytechnic University

Province of Laguna

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION

Graduate Studies and Applied Research

LUDIELYN S. MAHINAY April 03, 2021

Eng 204 Structure of English Dr. Myrna O. Medrano

RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT
Please have a research on the following:
1. Origin of English Language

Figure 1. The Origins of English

Source: https://www.vox.com/2015/3/3/8053521/25-maps-that-explain-english

Many researchers have looked into the Origin of the English language, as well as the development of the
language from its beginnings to today's modern form.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, since English is a member of the Indo-European language family,
it is related to the majority of other languages spoken in Europe and Western Asia, from Iceland to India.
It is said that the Proto-Indo-European, the parent language, was spoken by nomads roaming the southeast
European plains about 5,000 years ago.
While an article written by Essberger (2019) cited that the arrival of three Germanic tribes who conquered
Britain in the 5th century AD marked the beginning of the English language's history. The Angles, Saxons,
and Jutes came from what is now Denmark and northern Germany and crossed the North Sea. The Angles
originated in "Englaland" [sic], and their language was known as "Englisc," from which the words
"England" and "English" were derived.
English from England is the official language of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia,
Ireland, New Zealand, and a number of Caribbean and Pacific Ocean island nations. India, the Philippines,
Singapore, and several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, like South Africa, speak it as their official
language. English is the most popular foreign language in most other countries, and it is because of this that
it has earned the title of global lingua franca. English is now spoken by about a third of the world's
population, or two billion people (Crystal, et al., 2020).
Despite its strong resemblance to many other languages, English remains distinct in terms of its origin and
characteristics.

Reference:
Crystal, D. and Potter, . Simeon (2020, October 20). English language. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/English-language
Essberger, J. (2019). History of English. English Club. https://www.englishclub.com/history-of-
english/

2. First Language on Earth

Figure 2. Carved stone cuneiform tablets in Sumerian.

Source: Morgan-Mar, D. (2015, November 02). Cuneiform Tablets in Sumerian. World History Encyclopedia.
https://www.ancient.eu/image/4158/cuneiform-tablets-in-sumerian/

A challenging question to answer is what was the first language on Earth. Although there was certainly a
time when languages existed. We just don't know what their names were or how they sounded. They've
simply disappeared with the passing of time. It's almost impossible to say which language came first, but
that doesn't hinder scholars to at least research and figure it out.
Based on archaeological evidence, the Sumerian language is the world's oldest dead language. It was only
spoken until about 2000 BC, when it was replaced by Akkadian. The oldest evidence of it was discovered
in Iraq, on an artifact known as the Kish Tablet, dating back to at least 3500 BC. As a result of this proof,
Sumerian can also be considered the world's first language.
Moreover, the oldest languages in the world still spoken today are Tamil and Sanskrit. Tamil was the first
language spoken in Sri Lanka. It is both Sri Lanka's and Singapore's official languages. It is the only ancient
language to have survived into the modern period, with 78 million people speaking it. Unlike Tamil,
Sanskrit is a difficult language to learn. Sanskrit was once widely spoken, but it was abandoned around 600
BC. In the present time, Sanskrit has evolved into a language of worship and ritual rather than a language
of communication.
Researches above only proved that languages are dynamic and changing all the time. Their endless
evolution makes it difficult for all of us to identify which languages are the world's first.

Reference:
Moser, J. (2015). Sumerian Language. World History Encyclopedia.
https://www.ancient.eu/Sumerian_Language/
ProLingo. (2019). Is Sumerian the World’s Oldest Language? https://www.prolingo.com/blog/is-
sumerian-the-worlds-oldest-language/

3. What is the Structure of English?

Figure 3. Outline Structure of English

Source: https://www.slideshare.net/myra18/structure-of-english-a-
definition#:~:text=Definition%20of%20Structure%20of%20English,comparing%20them%20to%20structures%20of
In a report presented by Candol (2015) she defines Structure of English as a linguistic structure or unit. She
added that it primarily focuses on the simple and complex structures of English (grammar, vocabulary,
pronunciation, spelling, comprehension, and writing), as well as phonology, semantics, lexical, syntax, and
morphology, and compares them to the structures of other languages. It necessarily involves gathering and
analyzing data and knowledge on English use in current authentic discourse.
Whereas, Jeffries (2006) said that Structure of English involves the study of speech sounds via articulatory
phonetics and phonology: the description of sounds in terms of their physical production in the mouth and
throat. It looks at the structure of words by introducing the smallest building blocks of grammar:
morphemes. It then investigates the range of word classes to which English words belong, and defines the
membership of these classes by formal and functional criteria. It takes the study of structure to the level
above the word: the phrase. It discusses grammar by introducing clause structure and demonstrating the
complexity of sentence structures when more than one clause is involved. It provides a short introduction
to lexical semantics: the meaning of words in English. It allows students to develop a vocabulary for
discussing words they come across in the texts they are studying, and demonstrates the interface between
the language system and language use.
As a graduate student and a teacher at the same time, I appreciate the importance of English Structure. This
will improve my understanding of important aspects of English grammar as well as my grammatical
analysis and explanation skills.

Reference:
Candol, M. (2015). Structure of English (A Definition). SlideShare
https://www.slideshare.net/myra18/structure-of-english-a-
definition#:~:text=Definition%20of%20Structure%20of%20English,comparing%20them
%20to%20structures%20of
Jeffries, L. (2006). Discovering Language: The Structure of Modern Language.
http://ndl.ethernet.edu.et/bitstream/123456789/55984/1/32pdf.pdf
sumerian-the-worlds-oldest-language/

4. When was the English language invented?

 Figure 4. The History of the English Language
Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/olemiss-writing100/chapter/read-strategically-diversify-your-
vocabulary/

Figure 4 reveals that the History of English had its early beginnings before 100 BC, Britain was populated
by a mixture of tribes, including the Celts, Picts, Irish and Cornish. They all spoke a variety of Celtic
languages while Romans were the first invaders of Britain after the Celts conquered it.
The invasion of Britain during the 5th Century marked the beginning of the English language as we know it
today. The Germanic settlers (Angles, Saxons, Jutes) who came to the British Isles from what is now
northwest Germany and the Netherlands (badly called Holland) which is a mere province of this European
kingdom), as well as those from southern Denmark, gave birth to the English language. At first, they spoke
a dialect of the Germanic language and this slowly evolved into the English we speak today
As a conclusion, English language was developed in the 5th century. We can also infer that the modern
English is the result of the fusion of the dialects spoken by the Jutes, Saxons, Angles, and Danes, as well
as the heavy influence of Latin and Norman French. The language reflects this blending as well: some
words are Celtic in origin, while others are Latin, Greek, German, or French in origin.

Reference:
Brown, C. (2019). Short History of English. The World of English. https://www.english-
culture.com/short-history-of-english/
Mijwil, M. (2018). Brief History of the English language. Research Gate.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324068184_Brief_History_of_the_English_lan
guage

5. Evolution of English language structure

Figure 5. The English Periods

Source: https://www.sutori.com/story/the-origins-of-english--fy5r9cP3k7oAC8VJGaZim3Jy

Languages change over time, and the English language is no exception. There are four distinct periods in
the Evolution of the English language structure.
As indicated by Waters (nd), there are differences among the following line from the Lord's Prayer from
different periods. These variations arise from the influence of various languages on English
Old English: ''To cymeð þin ric''
Middle English: ''Thi Kingdom comme to''
Early Modern English: ''Thy kingdom come''
Late Modern English: ''May your kingdom come''
▪ Old English
English was introduced to the British Isles by people from Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands about
the 5th or 6th century. The English of this period is known as Old English or Anglo-Saxon, and it has a
strong Germanic influence, though its structure differs slightly from that of the German, Dutch, and Danish
languages from which it originated.
Just a few centuries later, the language began to change even further due to the invasion of the British Isles
by Scandinavian Vikings. Despite the fact that their languages were similar, they left behind some
linguistics, especially in grammar, that influenced Old English.
Several written works from the Old English period have survived. The most famous is "Beowulf," a heroic
epic poem. It is the oldest known English poem, with 3,183 lines.
▪ Middle English
English was dramatically altered when the Normans invaded the British Isles. English had been
predominantly Germanic until this stage. The Normans, on the other hand, carried not only their native
French language, but also their religious Latin language, which they found sophisticated, whereas English
was not.
To blend in with the ruling class, the Anglo-Saxons incorporated a significant amount of French and Latin
vocabulary into their language, resulting in yet another shift in syntax. This is also characterized as the
beginning of The Great Vowel Shift. This new formation was known as Middle English.
Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales," a collection of stories about a party of thirty pilgrims to Canterbury,
England, is the most popular example of Middle English. In the stories, he shows us what life was like in
fourteenth-century England
▪ Modern English
After William Caxton founded his printing press at Westminster Abbey in 1476, Modern English appeared.
Around 1450, Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press in Germany, but it was Caxton who founded
the first printing press in England. The Bible, as well as some important manuscripts, were printed. The
printing press made books more accessible to a wider audience. Books became more affordable, and more
people learned to read as a result.
By the time of Shakespeare, the language had evolved into what we now call Modern English. At the start
of the Modern English era, three main events occurred in the world: The Renaissance, the Industrial
Revolution, and British Colonization.
 ▪ Present English
The English language has unquestionably become the lingua franca, the language used to communicate
between people living in various countries around the world. English continues to change and develop, with
hundreds of new words added every day. This period made way to refined English Grammar.
English is now considered the universal language for industry, international communications,
entertainment, tourism, commerce, and technology. The majority of internet services are in English, forcing
people to learn English in order to fully use it. Above all, knowing English is important for sharing ideas
and making friends with people from all over the world.
As eloquently stated by Boyanova (2002), despite all of the borrowings from other languages, the Anglo-
Saxon of Old English remains the heart of the English language. Thus, English grammar is also Germanic,
with three genders (he, she, and it) and a basic collection of verb tenses.

Reference:
Boyanova, M. (2002). A. Brief History of the English Language.
http://www.studyenglishtoday.net/english-language-history.html
Waters, T. (nd). The Evolution of English Language Structure & Use.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-evolution-of-english-language-structure-use.html