Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon refers to the early Germanic peoples who migrated to Britain from regions of present-day Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands between the 5th century and 7th century. They established kingdoms such as Wessex, Mercia, and Northumbria, and their culture, language, and legal systems profoundly influenced the development of English society. The Anglo-Saxon period lasted until the Norman Conquest of 1066, after which Norman French began to reshape English culture and language. The term Anglo-Saxon also refers to Old English, the language spoken by this group, which serves as the root of modern English vocabulary and grammar.
The etymology of Anglo-Saxon originates from Latin, combining “Angli,” meaning “Angles,” one of the Germanic tribes, and “Saxones,” referring to the Saxons, another tribe from the same region. The concept of Anglo-Saxon as a collective term for these peoples emerged in the early medieval period, later adopted by historians to describe the period of English history before the Norman Conquest. The evolution of the Anglo-Saxon identity reflects a blending of tribal, linguistic, and cultural elements that shaped early medieval Britain.