Ye Olde English Language

During my undergrad, I chose to focus on the language and linguistic side of my English major.  I got to learn a lot about grammar, syntax (including tree diagramming, like that little baby tree on the left), phonology, and how we use our language to communicate.  I loved it, and I really miss studying it.  But I also learned quite a bit about the history of the English language, how Old English became Middle English became Modern English.

I present to you... the 4 Minute History of the English Language!

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Interesting tidbit: In Old English script, there was a letter called the thorn that made the "th" sound.  It also happened to look like a P with the rounded bit in the middle of the stem (again, see left).  Over time, this letter lost its top and started to look more like a rounded Y.

So when you see a sign labeled "Ye Olde" something, that "Ye" is actually a hold over from the Old English "The".  Just like the famous literary haunt, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese pub!  Dickens, Chesterton, and many more drank and wrote here often.  I was alone on this expedition, so no, I didn't have a pint inside.  Sigh.