Middle English (jan 1, 1100 – jan 1, 1500)
Description:
Middle English
1066-1485, beginning with the Norman Conquest
French became the language of the court.
Diglossia- Two languages in a country with one in a higher position of power.
English becomes official language of Parliament in 1362, as nobles lost their French holdings
Chaucer used regional dialects for characterisation
London dialect begins to become SE
1476 Caxton’s Printing Press signals the end of Middle English; Standardisation begins.
Middle English Orthography
G
K
Th, ch, sh
Q
Short Vowel- double consonant pibbol
Long Vowel - double vowel or digraph
Grammar and Lexis
Decline of inflections
Possessive and plural “s” retained
More use of prepositions
Comparative and superlative adjectival inflections retained
One definite article
-eth inflection on 3rd person verb forms
-ing inflection beginning
Thou/thee/ye/you
Added to timeline:
History of the English Language
Date:
