Middle English: Key Dates + Events Flashcards
1
Q
What was the main language that influenced Middle English?
A
French
2
Q
What time period was the Middle English period?
A
1100-1500
3
Q
Who spoke Middle English first?
A
The lower classes
4
Q
Why did many of the nobility not speak Middle English?
A
The French were in power, so French was the language of the courts and the judicial system.
5
Q
What were some features of Middle English?
A
no standardized spelling system, lots of French and Latin vocabulary,
6
Q
What major development of the language came during the Middle English period?
A
The Great Vowel Shift
