Early Modern English: A historical introduction Flashcards
What language saw a restoration as a major literary language in England during the late Middle Ages?
English
This period marked the beginnings of a standard form of written English.
Which language maintained great prestige in England during the late Middle Ages?
Latin
Latin was the language of international learning and retained its importance in various fields.
What was the focus of the grammar-school syllabus from the early sixteenth century?
Classical Latin
Pupils learned the Latin language and studied Latin literature, history, and rhetoric.
What was the medium of instruction in universities during the late Middle Ages?
Latin
Latin was used for teaching across various disciplines.
True or False: The natural scientists of the late Middle Ages primarily wrote in English.
False
Many proponents of the New Philosophy often wrote in Latin.
Fill in the blank: Under the influence of the ________, the grammar-school syllabus was centred on Classical Latin.
[humanists]
What played a considerable part in the establishment of English as the sole literary medium in England?
Religious disputes from the fifteenth to the seventeenth century
These disputes were particularly significant during the Reformation.
Why did controversial books and pamphlets tend to be written in English during the Reformation?
Many of the people attracted by Protestantism were of humble origins and lacked a classical education.
Which language did Sir Thomas More use when writing for the learned men of Europe?
Latin
What was the primary language of Milton’s controversial prose aimed at English politics?
English
What significant translation raised the prestige of English during the Reformation?
The translation of the Bible into English
How did the more extreme Protestants view Latin?
As a ‘popish’ language designed to keep ordinary people in ignorance.
What factor led to a greater interest in national languages in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries?
The rise of national feeling accompanying the modern nation-state.
Name two works that were conscious attempts to elevate English literature.
- Spenser’s Faerie Queene (1590)
- Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667)
Who were eager to read and learn but had little or no Latin during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?
Social and occupational groups like skilled craftsmen, instrument makers, explorers, navigators, and soldiers.
What important development contributed to the spread of literacy in the late fifteenth century?
The introduction of printing
What was the level of female literacy around 1500 compared to male literacy?
1% for women; 10% for men.
Which professional group fought for the retention of Latin due to their professional monopoly?
Physicians
What was the controversy about English during the second half of the sixteenth century focused on?
The suitability of English for works of science and scholarship.
What was the outcome of the controversy regarding the use of English in scholarly discourse?
Supporters of English gradually won as more fields of study were successfully invaded by it.
During the Renaissance, what was the significant influence on English despite its rise as a literary medium?
Latin literature and Latin rhetorical theories.
What symbolic event represented the revival of Greek scholarship in England?
The foundation of St Paul’s School by Dean Colet in 1509.
