The rise of the English language is a remarkable success story. When Julius Caesar landed in Britain over two thousand years ago, English did not exist. Five hundred years later, Englisc, incomprehensible to modern ears, was probably spoken by about as few people as currently speak Cherokee. Nearly a thousand years later, when William Shakespeare was in his prime, English was the native language of between five and seven million Englishmen, but it still had a severely limited influence on the world. Which statement is the main idea in the passage

A. Fifteen hundred years ago, the word "English" was spelled "Englisc".
B. The English language has gradually grown in usage.
C. Around 1600, even in England, some people did not speak English.
D. William Shakespeare wrote plays for English-speaking audiences.