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Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman Conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English period.
May 17, 2024 · Middle English language, the vernacular spoken and written in England from about 1100 to about 1500, the descendant of the Old English language and the ancestor of Modern English. (Read H.L. Mencken’s 1926 Britannica essay on American English.) The history of Middle English is often divided into.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Apr 3, 2024 · Learn how the Norman Conquest of 1066 transformed Old English into Middle English, a mixture of Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman influences. Explore the vocabulary, grammar and literature of this period, from Chaucer to the resurgence of English.
Learn about the historical period, linguistic developments, multilingual context, and surviving documents of Middle English, from 1150 to 1500. Explore the changes in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and regional variation of English during this time.
A comprehensive online resource for Middle English lexicon and usage from 1100 to 1500. Search words, phrases, quotations, and manuscripts from the period of Chaucer and Gower.
All five Middle English dialects (Northern, West Midland, East Midland, South Western, and South Eastern) went their own ways and developed their own characteristics.
Learn how to read and understand Chaucer's language, which differs from modern English in the long vowels, the final -e, and the meter. See examples, charts, and explanations of the Great Vowel Shift and the inflectional endings.
