Early Modern English Flashcards
What was the prestige writing in Middle English?
Latin
When was the creation of Early Modern English?
1400-1500
When was the rise of Early Modern English?
1500-1600
When was the consolidation of Early Modern English
1600-1700
When was the transition from Early Modern English to Late Modern English?
1700-1800
Who brought the printing press to England, and what effect did it have on English?
William Caxton introduces the printing press to England. The standardization of English spelling and grammar starts to take root as books became more accessible and common (before books were extremely expensive because they had to be handwritten).
What was the great Vowel Shift and when was it?
c. 1500. The great Vowel Shift was a major phonetic change, marking a distinct shift from Middle English to Modern English pronounciation.
How did the Great Vowel Shift affect English spelling?
- Although the pronounciation of English changed, a lot of the spelling stayed the same, which is why spelling and pronounciation of English don’t match.
- Before spelling was standardized, words are sometimes spelt the way they are pronounced. A common example is a split digraph, where a silent ‘e’ is added to a word that doesn’t have it standardly, eg. heate, reflecting the way it was pronounced in Middle English before the Great Vowel Shift.
How and when did William Shakespeare influence English?
1564-1616.
William Shakespeare (along with a lot of other writers during that time) contributed significantly to Early Modern English vocabulary, syntax and expressive style.
How is the King James Bible important in the development of Early Modern English?
1611 published.
It becomes one of the most influential text in the development of English, adding hundreds of phrases and idioms to English.
What was the impact of Samuel Johnson’s dictionary?
Published 1755.
Samuel Johnson spent 11 years working on it, trying to define every word in the English Lexicon. It became the definitive work of English vocabulary, greatly influencing the standardization of spelling and defenition.
Who formalizes grammar rules?
1762, Robert Lowth publishes ‘A short introduction to Early Grammar’
By _______, English ________, ___________, and ___________ have largely become ________________, and the language has entered the period we call ____________________________.
1800
grammar, spelling and vocabulary
standardized
Late Modern English
