Chapter 3: Old English: Overview
Ferdinand von Mengden
This chapter offers a survey of the main linguistic changes that took place during Old English period - from Anglo-Saxon migration around 450 CE to beginning Norman rule England. Considering major features and developments on all levels will be presented in later chapters more detail, present sketches most salient important otherwise focuses political cultural events period, which had an impact development language. Predominantly, these are lead emergence new contact situations such as Christianization (Latin), Viking raids (Old Norse) emerging influence court 11th century (French) waves literary productivity e.g. King Alfred’s educational program increasing book production following Benedictine Reform.
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