Periods of English Flashcards
Old English
the language of the Anglo-Saxon settlers in Britain, the main language until approximately 1100 CE
Middle English
the spoken and written English language which emerged after the Norman invasion and eventually developed into Early Modern English
Early Modern English
English used in the period between approximately 1500 and 1800 CE, marked by a sudden and distinct change in pronunciation and the inclusion of European lexis and the classical lexis of Latin and Greek
Late Modern English
English used in the time period after 1800 CE until present day, changed by scientific and social developments and a desire to establish rules in the language
Graphology
the writing system of a language, as well as other visual elements on the page; it is the study of writing forms, such as the alphabet
Orthography
the part of language concerned with letters and spelling
Phonology
the pronunciation and sound patterns which affect understanding of words
Morphology
the structure of words with their meaning
Pragmatics
how the context in which words and phrases are used affects their meaning
Lexis
means ‘word’ and concerns the words of a language
Semantics
the meanings of words
Syntax
the order of words in a sentence
Grammar
the rules for organising meaning in a language
The Great Vowel Shift
a series of changes which lasted around 200 years from 1350 CE onwards, in the pronunciation of English, affecting the vowels
Factors that contributed to the GVS
mass migration, the Black Death, technological advancements, exploration, time periods such as the Rennaissance
Examples of the GVS
“beet” –> “bite”
“toe” –> “to”
“mate” –> “meet”
“moos” –> “mouse”
“weef” –> “wife”
Important events to do with language prior to Old English
43 CE - Romans invaded England and lexis was derived from Latin
410 CE - Goths destroyed Rome. Picts, Scots, Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians invaded Britain, so the language was influenced by their dialects
Important events to do with language in the period of Old English
700 CE - the dialects of all those invading tribes merged
793 CE - Vikings invaded, bringing their language with them, but the language of the Anglo-Saxons prevailed
Important events to do with language in the period of Middle English
1066 CE - Norman French introduced (especially to upper classes) when William of Normandy conquered England
Over the next 200 years - about 10,000 French words were integrated into English
Important events to do with language in the period of Early Modern English
1476 CE - William Caxton, an English printer, helped standardise spelling and punctuation with the introduction of England’s first printing press
