Introduction to Old and Middle English: Part II

Syntax, Great Vowel Shift, Standardisation

May 12, 2006Andreas H. Jucker

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Main featuresof Middle English Less standardised, more dialectal

variation in the written sources Much simpler system of inflexions,

especially in nouns and adjectives Increased reliance on word-order

and prepositions Increasingly more mixed vocabulary

(French, Latin, Scandinavian)

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Middle English Dialects

Northern

East Midland

South EastSouth West

West Midland

Source: Burnley 1983: xvi

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Reasons for levellingof case endings Stress on root syllable Consequent weakening and

centralisation of unstressed syllables [-3n]

Loss of case marking function Prepositions take over case marking

function

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Nouns and adjectives Nouns:

Sg.N/A/D: frend(e) Sg. G: frendes Pl.: frendes/frendis

Adjectives: Definite (weak): this olde man Indefinite (strong): an old man Plural: olde bookes

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Personal pronouns

1st person 2nd person 3rd personSubject: sg. I ~ Ich ~ Ik thow ~ thou she; he; it

pl. we ye thei ~ theyObject, prep.: sg. me the(e) hire; him;

(h)itpl. us yow ~ you hem

Possessive: sg. my(n) thy(n) hire; hispl. oure youre hire ~ thair

Chaucer’s use:

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Demonstratives and relatives Singular demonstratives

that, this

Plural demonstratives tho,thise thilke (that ilke ‘that same’)

Relative pronoun which, that or zero (for personal and non-personal) who does not occur whos,whom, which after prepositions Combinations: which that, the which, the which that

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Verbs Strong:

knowe(n) knew- knowe(n) breke(n) brak- broke(n)

Weak: daunce(n) daunced daunced

Infinitive Often ends in -en or -n

Third person, indicative -eth (sg.); -en (pl.)

Subjunctive Ending -e instead of -eth

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Syntax Perfective

Transitives: with have Intransitives: with be

Negation ne in front of the verb (I ne can ne I ne mai)

Questions Subject-verb inversion

• How shal I do?• Can thow serven?• Whi seist thou so?

Burrow & Turville-Petre 1992: 46-52

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Great vowel shift

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Great Vowel Shift: Examples

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Standardisation:The rise of East Midland Time: end of 14th century and 15th century Intermediate position between North and

South Large, populous and prosperous area (Oxford), Cambridge London (political and cultural centre) Chancery clerks Caxton

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William Caxton ?1422-91, English printer and translator Learned the technique of printing in Cologne 1475 first book in English (printed in Bruges) 1476 printing press in Westminster 103 items published

His own translations Chaucer, Gower Lydgate Prose works in English, e.g. Chaucer’s Boethius Miscellaneous

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A 16th century printing house

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QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

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Caxton’sChaucer

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

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QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

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Renaissance 1531Henry VIII severs relations with

Rome Closing of monasteries,Church of England Reduction of Latin in schools Growth of patriotism

1564-1616 William Shakespeare 1588 victory over the Spanish Armada

expansion of English overseas