English is one of the Teutonic (Germanic )languages .Germanic languages are a branch of Indo_European language. Uptu 14th century English was a vernacular language .At that time Latin and French were the dominant languages .Latin was the medium of instruction in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge .It was the language of ancient Rome and the official language of its empire .French remained the language of the court till 1365 .English was divided into a number of dialects .Chaucer's wrote his famous works 'The Canterbury Tales 'in Midland dialect .Its grammar and syntax was simpler than those of other dialects .Chaucer is designated the father of English verse ..