What language was spoken before old English introduced?

The language spoken in Britain before Old English was Common Brittonic, a Celtic language.

Here's a breakdown:

* Common Brittonic: This was the ancestor of languages like Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. It was spoken throughout much of Britain before the arrival of Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, Jutes) who brought with them the language that evolved into Old English.

* Romanization: It's important to note that Britain had been part of the Roman Empire for centuries (43-410 AD), and during that time, Latin had a significant impact on the language. Some Latin words and phrases became part of the Brittonic language, and some evidence suggests that a form of Latin, Vulgar Latin, may have been spoken by some people in Britain.

* Anglo-Saxon Invasion: The arrival of Germanic tribes starting in the 5th century AD led to a gradual shift in the language landscape. The Germanic tribes spoke various dialects that ultimately merged into Old English.

* Coexistence and Displacement: For a period, both Brittonic and Old English likely existed alongside each other, but gradually, Old English became the dominant language in most of England. The Brittonic languages retreated to the western and northern parts of the island, evolving into the Celtic languages we know today.

So, while Old English didn't directly replace a single language, it replaced a complex linguistic landscape that included Common Brittonic and likely some influence from Vulgar Latin.