THE EVOLUTION OF ENGLISH: FROM OLD ENGLISH TO MODERN MALAYSIAN ENGLISH

The Evolution of English: From Old English to Modern Malaysian English

The Evolution of English: From Old English to Modern Malaysian English

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Introduction


English is everywhere lah! From our daily conversations to official documents, social media, and even mamak stalls, we Malaysians have adapted English in our own unique way. But do you know how English evolved to become what it is today? This language has been through centuries of change, influenced by different cultures, countries, and even technology.

In this article, we’ll take a journey through time, from Old English to Modern Malaysian English, and explore how this global language has shaped the way we communicate.



1. The Beginnings – Old English (450-1100 AD)


The earliest form of English, known as Old English, came about when the Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) arrived in Britain in the 5th century. But honestly, if we saw it today, we sure cannot understand one! ????

Here’s an example:
"no hu! Wē Gār-Dena in geārdagum, þēodcyninga, þrym gefrūnon." (From Beowulf)

Sounds like a totally different language right? That’s because it was! Old English had words that we still use today, like "earth," "stone," "house," and "king", but a lot of it would be unrecognizable to us.



2. The French Invasion – Middle English (1100-1500 AD)


In 1066, the Norman Conquest happened, and England was taken over by the French-speaking Normans. This was when French became the language of the rich and powerful, while normal people still spoke Old English. Eventually, both languages mixed, and English started to look more like what we know today.

That’s why today we have a lot of words from French, especially in government, law, and food:

  • Government terms: Parliament, judge, court

  • Food names: Beef (from boeuf), pork (from porc), mutton (from mouton)

  • Luxury & fashion terms: Elegant, perfume, mansion


A famous writer from this time was Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote The Canterbury Tales. If you read it, you can kind of recognize some words:

"Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote, The droghte of March hath perced to the roote."

Not easy to read, but already starting to sound like English, right?



3. The Shakespearean Era – Early Modern English (1500-1800 AD)


This was when English really started to grow and standardize. Thanks to the printing press, books were being printed more, and people across England started to read and write in the same way.

Also, a guy named William Shakespeare came along and invented more than 1,700 words and phrases. Many of these words are still used today, such as:

  • Bedroom

  • Lonely

  • Addiction

  • Swagger

  • Gossip


And even some famous phrases we always hear:
???? "Break the ice"
???? "Wear your heart on your sleeve"
???? "All that glitters is not gold"

It was also during this time that the King James Bible (1611) was printed, further shaping English into what we know today.

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