I've been seriously considering writing a book on the origins of the English language. I'd like to start the book with information about the british Isles prior to the arrival of the anglo saxons, actually beginning with the first people to set foot upon the land. I'm finding this information somewhat difficult to find. Could anyone direct me to some sources of information on this subject? Or just give me a summary of human occupation of the Isles up to the arrival of the anglo saxons?
Wow...Brigantes? Maybe. There is a legend that says heros from the Trojan war started the first "civ" in south Britain.
see that is funny ha ha and not ha ha at the same time Cause the Royalty claims heritage going back to the Trojans . Course if scribes could not make it so they lost there heads . So the scribes had a real incentive to make heritage a-line . It was the Monarchs claim to fame justifying there royalty . Blood lines Me own blood line goes back to Adam and Eve in this same way . The Ridgley's . By Elisabeth Rigby who was the daughter of Anne Ridgely. It is were I get my middle name . They use to have a blood line going back to Dagabert the II and then from there it is easy to follow up to the old scribes genealogy back to Adam and Eve . Most of them pass trough King Pharamond the legendary Grail King . Charlemagne does . So does Clovis and them guys too . This was when legends of the Great House and the holy grail started to develop . A Castle that would appear and disappear in different locations. It contained the Holy Grail . I don't know who took it down but the genealogy is not on the internet as far as I can fined anymore . Maybe the Ridgely Family took it down form not being able to make a few connections . I can tell you this . I was taught from the time I could talk that the Ridgley Family was Royalty. We didn't know exactly what that meant and I didn't get the connection at all until I joined the information age and saw that Genealogy showing the Ridgely's genealogy going back to Dagoburt II. It was like fuck can you believe that ? Maybe it is true Right now !! Right this minute new grail legends are being born . It is the strangest thing cause it is leading right to my own door step . I know lots of you just think i am one flipped out crazy bastard . The fucking church is doing it . They are building sermons around my Great Uncle Lucien . The mysteries are starting to abound in big ways . I can't friggen believe it .I just read yesterday new posts by church groups using the story like they own it .When I was young no one wanted to here the story and anytime Id start to bring it up I was dismissed as a stupid kid . Now it is the the story of Churches in Illinois. Made into a legend for the church to prosper . Can you believe that shit ? I can't . Fuck Me anyway ! Life is fucking strange. The immortal words of Led Zepplin . Were is that confounded Bridge . House of the Holy ? Is that the Album ? Dancing days are here again ! Great music . That Jimmy Page is a living legend , so is that Robert Plant
The entire British isles were once lived in by people speaking forms of the celtic language.These aboriginal people came mainly two sources--from the Basque region of Spain after the ice Age and neolithic farmers from near eastern regions via the Atlantic seaboard in about 5000 BC. They spoke celtic but are genetically NOT the same people known as celts on the continent. Eventually the Romans came to Britain, and colonized it, with forts and towns in England and,yes, they were in wales,too, but they did not take Scotland,building Hadrian's wall to keep the Scots out. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...hqXeDQ&usg=AFQjCNHRHQakvQ3OEretrthR31i2eQeLFw
Wikipedia says 8,000 years ago the first settlers came into the area . Probably Archaeological finding establish this . "History of Ireland" Wikipedia Whoops that be 8000 B.C. not 8000 years ago my bad . Not long after the great floods of Lake Missoula and Lake Agassiz. A few 1000 years . I guess it might take you that long to get your nerve up to be that close the the ocean after events like that
The Basque language was in Europe before the Indo-European languages including the Celtic languages arrived in Europe. England was settled before the Indo-European languages arrived in Europe. How the Celtic languages rose to dominance over the previous languages in England is unrecorded and lost to history.
It's a common phenomenon. Each successive wave of migration from the east brought more sophisticated technology, which allowed them to assume leadership. The first settlers had stone age technology, perhaps not even agriculture; the Celts brought the Bronze Age with them, and the Romans brought the Iron Age. The Germanic tribes didn't really bring any new technology because they also had what the Romans brought to their region of Europe. They just filled the void of leadership after the Roman Empire collapsed and all their legionnaires went home.
Celtic is an Indo-European language. English is too, but a different branch, Germanic. I would begin my quest in the libraries of British Universities and Museums. Then I would visit archaeological sites. It's a life's work. Good luck!
Modern English is pretty much a hybrid. Although the foundation is Anglo-Saxon (Germanic), the majority of the vocabulary is of Latin origin, either directly or through French.
A history book is not a good source to study prehistory from, however archaeology is an entire specialist area of study dedicated to it. My suggestion would be Britain BC by Francis Pryor who explains the entire archaeological record of Britain in very accessable writing. Also Origins of the British by Stephen Oppenheimer gives the gentic history of the isles. It's also worth mentioning that neither the Celts and Anglo-Saxons appear in archaeology nor genetic science and both disiplines consider them only legends.
Don't forget the Aliens or Druids who built stonehenge! +++ Don't forget the english speaking parts of The United States and Canada mostly came from that island kingdom, and market your book so Americans think it is concerning them. A book entitled "The roots of North American English language" might sell more copies than "The roots of the English language in britain. Not precise titles for sure, but good enough to make my point.
