Preface 4 // 1 Introduction 5 // 2 Genealogical classification of languages and the position of English in the Indo-European language family 9 // 3 Typological classification of languages; typological characteristics of English 13 // 4 Languages in Britain before English 18 // 5 Old English (introduction into the issue) 23 // 6 General characteristics of Old English 27 // 7 Middle English (introduction into the issue) 47 // 8 General characteristics of Middle English 57 // 9 Rise of standard English 77 // 10 Early Modern English (introduction into the issue) 79 // 11 General characteristics of Early Modern English (internal history) 94 // 12 The expansion of the British empire in the period of Modern English and its impact on the language 103 // 13 Present day English 106 // Bibliography 112