Middle English: Phonology

Question 1

Vowels in Old English (Monophthongs)

Answer 1

Question 2

Vowels in Middle English (Monophthongs)

Answer 2

Question 3

The Phoneme Inventory - Vowels

Answer 3

Question 4

The Phoneme Inventory - Vowels Südhumbrische Verdumpfung

Answer 4

> took place during ME in the area south of the river Humber (areas controlled by the Danelaw - Eastern Midlands)
/ɑː/ (father) to /ɔː/ (law) change
e.g. OE: stān
ME: ston/stone

Question 5

Source from ME words with /ɑː/:

Answer 5

The long /ɑː/ is not lost despite südhumbrische Verdumpfung but there are two other sources:
1. French words with similar vowel quality
> ME “blame” from French “blâmer” (ModE. to blame)
> ME “lac” from French “lac” (ModE. lake)

2. OE /ɑ/ was lengthened to /ɑː/:
   > OE bacan - ME baken
   > OE lana - ME lane
   > OE nama - ME name
   > OE tacan - ME taken

> Diphthong /eɪ/ in ModE is indication for ME /ɑː/

Question 6

Homorganic Sounds

Answer 6

Homorganic sounds = same place of articulation

> Changes from OE to ME
Vowel change caused by surrounding sounds
From the 9th century onwards: lengthening of short unstressed vowels
But only if certain consonants followed
Short vowel was followed by liquid or nasal + homorganic sound

> Lengthening did not take place if a third consonant followed: in ‘childrene’ the two homorganic sounds /ld/ are followed by /r/

> e.g. liquid: /l/ and /d/
nasal: /m/ and /b/, /n/ and /d/

Question 7

The Phoneme Inventory - Consonants
changes towards OE to ME

Answer 7

Question 8

Spelling and Pronunciation

Answer 8

> Spelling became fixed from 15th century onwards
Important influence: printing press
Since 15th century: hardly any change in the spelling
From ME onwards: major changes in the pronunciation

Question 9

Spelling and Pronunciation
- ModE

Answer 9

> Knowledge of historical, diachronic changes helps to understand ModE
ModE spelling represents pronunciation of ME

Question 10

1. What does the term “südhumbrische Verdumpfung” mean?

Answer 10

> took place during ME in the area south of the river Humber (areas controlled by the Danelaw - Eastern Midlands)
/ɑː/ (father) to /ɔː/ (law) change
e.g. OE: stān
ME: ston/stone

Question 11

2. Explain the change of the vowels /y:/ (in hydan) and /y/ in cyssan from OE to ME!

Answer 11

• /y(:)/ lost its rounding and turned into /i:,ɪ/
  > /y:/ in hydan turned into /i:/
  > /y/ in cyssan turned into /ɪ/

Question 12

3. What are homorganic sounds? What happened to the vowels occurring before these sounds?

Answer 12

• Homorganic sounds = sounds with same place of articulation
• Short unstressed vowels were lengthened when they appeared before a liquid: /ld/
  nasal: /mb/, /nd/ (homorganic sound)

Question 13

4. Does OE have the phonemes /v/ and /z/? What about ME?

Answer 13

• OE: No, but the Allophones [v] and [z]
• ME changes: The allophones reach phonemic status (become Phonemes)