Despite what grammar sticklers think, there was never a golden age of pure English: the language has always been an unruly mishmash of other languages. Just consult the Venerable Bede, a 7th century monk who documented the beginnings of English.Despite what grammar sticklers think, there was never a golden age of pure English: the language has always been an unruly mishmash of other languages. Just consult the Venerable Bede, a 7th century monk who documented the beginnings of English.