The English Language

Modern English is much different than previous versions of the English language. The language has transformed so much over the years that today's version is barely recognizable in the old, original English language. The evolution of the English language can be broken down into three main periods: Old English, Middle English, and Modern English.
Old English is defined as the period between 450 and 1100 AD. The Saxons, Angles, and Jutes, interacted due to close territories and their different Germanic dialects intermingles, resulting in a new, shared language. Latin is also incorporated into the English language, because what is now England was filled with largely Latin and Celtic speakers before the introduction of those of Germanic tongue. Norse words in the English language can also be traced back to this time period. Middle English is defined as the period between 1100 and 1500 AD. During this period, the French language was incorporated, which resulted in many of the words we consider "fancy" today. Spelling and pronunciation changed largely during this period, including the "Great Vowel Shift." Modern English is considered the period from 1500 AD to present day, not long after the printing press was invented. The production of books made access easier for many people, so people learned to read and write, standardizing English. English has not changed tremendously from the time of Shakespeare to modern day. 

Many words throughout the development of English are recognizable and/or the same as they are today. For example, in Old English candel (candle) and win (wine) are clearly recognizable. In Middle English, meat names (venison, beef, bacon, etc.) and animal names are the same as today, because they came from the French language. The English language has evolved quite a bit, but you can see traces of modern day English clearly in its roots.