This document discusses the origins and development of the English language. It begins by examining the linguistic geography of Europe prior to the origins of English, noting that western Europe was broadly divided into Celtic-speaking south and Germanic-speaking north, overlaid by the spread of Latin from Rome. It then focuses on the specific linguistic situation in Britain, where Celtic languages were spoken until the 5th century arrival of Anglo-Saxon Germanic tribes. These early dialects eventually developed into the four main dialects of Old English: Northumbrian, Mercian, West Saxon, and Kentish, which correlated largely with the political kingdoms and boundaries at the time.