The present website has been designed and written by Raymond Hickey, Chair of English Linguistics, Essen University, Germany. It is intended for students of linguistics – or any other interested persons – concerned with the history of the English language. If it proves useful, it will be revised and extended at regular intervals.


This website has a companion, dealing with varieties of English, which can be accessed via the following link:




 There is also another website, this time with detailed information on forms of Irish English:


Constructive criticism is welcome and may be conveyed to the author at the following address: raymond.hickey@uni-due.de

Raymond Hickey
January 2012

  Author’s homepage

PS A word to students: websites do not replace books. They are intended to offer overviews and general information which students can use when beginning their study of a particular subject. When studying the history of English, a website is particularly useful because maps, facsimiles, pictures, etc. can be included. But remember that for linguistic details and analyses there is no substitute for books, so make sure that you progress from here to the printed word.