Phil Forrester, age 12, of Columbia, S.C., for his question:

 How did the English language begin?

Our language developed in stages, bit by bit. The framework, or structure, was invented by the Teutonic people of Europe, more than 2,000 years ago. These Angles, Saxons and Jutes were known far and wide as fierce fighting tribesmen. When the Celts of Briton needed help they invited them to what is now England. The Romans had loft and Briton was at the mercy of raiding Picts and Scots. The Angles and the Saxons came and crushed the border raiders. Then they turned around and, crushing the Colts, took their lands.

The language of Briton became Angle Saxon or Old English. It has been improved and extended, but its framework has not changed since the seventh century. We say that it is basically a Teutonic language. The period of Old English lasted until about 1100. The heroic story of Beowulf was written during that time and, though the text looks like a foreign language to us, it is actually the grandfather of Modern English.

William of Normandy conquered England in 1066 and William and his men were French. The Anglo Saxons had driven out the Celts and their language but the htormans did not want the Angle Saxons to this extent. For a time the two peoples and their languages existed ride by side.­with the Narmuns claiming superiority. However, it wars the Angle Saxon language which finally prevailed.

The common people, who did the work, spoke Angle Saxon. But they enriched their language by adding many new words from the French. The conquered people, who tended the herds, used their words pig, cow and sheep. Their Norman masters, who waited to be served at table, called those animals pork, beef and mutton. So the language was enriched with one name for the live animal and another for its meat.

This wedding of the two languages, Angle Saxon and French, was the period of Middle English. During it Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the rollicking Canterbury Tales. We nee d to translate his text, but this language was the father of Modern English. In 1362 French was no longer the official language of the law courts and Parliament and Middle English prevailed until about 150.

Now the old language became streamlined. Lets of unnecessary bits and. pieces were dropped. The first printing press was operated by William Caxton in London end at lest the taxi is recognizable to us ass English. It was during this time that the parsed of the Renaissance, of new learning, inspired all Europe.

A multitude of poets, dramatists and story tellers expressed themselves in the clear, streamlined language. The works of William Shakespeare were born and the Bible was translated into what we call the King James Version. Those works wore written throe hundred years ago but we can still read and enjoy them. For the language is Modern English, close enough to our own for us to understand.