History of English concepts/occurences Flashcards
When was Old English spoken?
400-1100 AD
Who spoke Old English?
Germanic settlers
What was the main influence on Old English?
Viking invasion
When was Middle English used?
1100-1450AD
What language was most prominent in Middle English period and why?
- French (amongst the rich)
- Norman Invasion 1066 (William the Conqueror)
When did English become widely used by the upper classes?
1425
When was Early Modern English spoken?
1470-1700
What was introduced in 1476 and by who?
- The printing press
- William Caxton
What did the printing press lead to?
- Mass production of text, so more standardisation
What kind of texts were translated into English?
- Latin and Greek texts
Which dialect was the most popular and prestigious?
- East Midlands dialect (London, Oxford, Cambridge, etc)
When did people speak Late Modern English?
- 1700-now
What 4 things helped the English language in the 19th century?
- Rail travel
- Colonial expansion
- The spread of literacy
- Mass printed press
What are the 4 features of Middle English? Provide an example
- Grammar; simple, reflects the way English and French co-existed
- French lexis; used in legal, religious and administrative terms (i.e justice, jury, govern)
- Latin words; 85% of Old English words fell out of use, Latin replaces them
- Pronunciation; the Great Vowel Shift - vowels became shorter (teem = time, leef = life)
What are the 3 features of Early Modern English? Provide an example
- European Renaissance; new words were needed for new concepts, so lots of Latin, Greek and French words entered (i.e psychology)
- Shakespeare; coined 1700 new words (i.e excitement, courtship)
- World Exploration; words from Africa and Asia entered the language