About ad449

It must have been in longships like this that the Germanic Jutes
landed in southeast England in A.D.449.

The local king had some problem with neighbors so he called in his allies, the Jutes, to help.

Well, the Jutes came, bringing not only fighting men but also their language which eventually became the English that we know.

The Norman conquest and other events in English history spiced the original language with French and Latin influences making it the rich and vibrant language that it is now.

Today, English-- next only to Chinese and Hindi-- is the most widely-spoken language in the world, thanks to the post-WWII American hegemony which brought the language to all corners of the world.

Note: Picture is owned by CoolPrint.