Define the four stage that led to the development of English language by listing each stage and naming the key events that define or set the stage in motion?

1. Old English (450-1150)
- Key events: Anglo-Saxon settlement in Britain, conversion to Christianity, Viking invasions, Norman Conquest

2. Middle English (1150-1500)
- Key events: Norman Conquest, Hundred Years' War, Black Death, Great Vowel Shift

3. Early Modern English (1500-1700)
- Key events: Renaissance, Protestant Reformation, colonization of the Americas, English Civil War

4. Modern English (1700-present)
- Key events: Industrial Revolution, British Empire expansion, World Wars, globalization, technological advancements

1. Pre-Old English (Before 450 CE)
- Arrival of Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, Jutes) to Britain
- Formation of distinct Anglo-Saxon dialects

2. Old English (450-1066 CE)
- Rise of the Anglo-Saxons as a dominant power
- Development of a standardized written language based on Wessex dialect
- Influence of Viking invasions and Christianity

3. Middle English (1066-1470 CE)
- Norman Conquest of England and introduction of Norman French
- Intermingling of French and Old English vocabularies
- Great Vowel Shift, which transformed pronunciation

4. Modern English (1470-Present)
- Invention of the printing press, leading to widespread literacy
- Standardization of the language through dictionaries and grammars
- Global spread of English due to British colonialism and technological advances