History of the English Language

added adjective adopted Anglo Anglo-Saxon period became become beginning belonging Ben Jonson changes Chaucer common compound consequence consonant declension dative denoting developed disappeared distinction dropped Early English Early English period employed ending England example existing expression extent fact feminine fifteenth final form the preterite former fourteenth century French frequently genitive given grammar infinitive influence instances king language of literature large number Latin latter masculine Middle English period Modern English period native neuter Norman Conquest Norse Northern dialect nouns occasionally Old English period Old Norse original past participle personal pronouns phrases Piers Plowman plural poetry present tense preterite preterite-present verbs pronunciation represented result retained Saxon second person seventeenth century Shakspeare singular sixteenth century sometimes spoken strictly strong conjugation strong inflection strong verbs subjunctive suffix syllable teenth century tendency termination Teutonic tongues third person thou tion tive usage vowel declension weak conjugation weak verb West-Saxon words writings