A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CODE - CHILDREN OF THE CODE

[debbie]

Many thanks to Yvonne Meyer for flagging up this set of 'Children of the Code' videos on the history of writing via the DDOLL network:

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CODE PART 1
EARLY CODE HISTORY

http://www.childrenofthecode.org/Tour/c5/index.htm

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CODE PART 2
YE FIRST MILLENNIUM BUG

http://www.childrenofthecode.org/Tour/c5b/index.htm

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CODE PART 3
PARADIGM INERTIA - CODE REFORM

http://www.childrenofthecode.org/Tour/c5c/index.htm

[debbie]

CHILDREN OF THE CODE NETWORK:


http://www.childrenofthecode.org/Tour/index.htm

[debbie]

Although I have already flagged this piece up on another thread, I thought it would be good to add it here, too, as it gives some background on the writing system and it is such a good overview:


http://intrinsicphonics.net/Teaching_Re ... overy.html

The Beginnings of English

Though the Romans were in Britain for about 400 years from 43 BC to 410 AD, they had little effect on the Celtic language. Almost immediately following the Romans’ withdrawal, the basis for Old English began with the invasion of the Germanic tribes, the Angles, Saxons and Jutes. By the end of the sixth century Old English (also known as Anglo Saxon) was well established. The name of the language, Englisc (sc spelling representing the sh sound) is found in Old English texts from this period. Latin, though, was still the communications medium of the church. In 731, as one of the best examples of early Latin, the Venerable Bede wrote the Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (the Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation). Much of the Old English (including Bede’s work) that survives today (compiled in the University of Toronto) is a result of translation ordered by King Alfred (849 - 899). J and Q were notably absent from the 24-letter alphabet. Spelling would have been exactly how the language sounded to the scribe. The language varied considerably, especially in the north of England where the volume of Viking incursions by the middle of the 8th century caused a geographic division of England, known as Danelaw, which was approximated by a line from Chester to London. Norse and Old English vocabularies intermingled across this divide.

[debbie]

I flagged Melvyn Bragg's book and series up some time ago but this is a good time to link to the original thread - really worth investigating:

The History of English


http://www.phonicsinternational.com/for ... .php?t=691