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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.
Oct 16, 2023 · Learn about the period of Middle English (c. 1100 - c. 1500), when the Great Vowel Shift, the English Renaissance, printing press and standardization, the Bible, dictionaries and grammars, and Shakespeare shaped the language. Explore the pronunciation, spelling, grammar and vocabulary changes of this era.
Apr 5, 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
Learn about the historical period, linguistic developments, and multilingual context of Middle English, the language of medieval Britain from 1150 to 1500. Explore the surviving documents, regional variations, and influences from French, Latin, and Scandinavian.
A comprehensive online resource for Middle English lexicon and usage from 1100 to 1500. Search words, quotations, and manuscripts from the period of Chaucer and Gower.
Learn how to pronounce and use the long vowels in Middle English, the form of English used in England from the 11th to the 15th century. See examples of Chaucer's verse, the inflectional endings, and the rhythm of Chaucer's verse. Follow the rules for reading Chaucer's poetry and the final -e.
By the 14th century, English reemerged as the dominant language but in a form very different from Anglo-Saxon Old English. Writers of the 13th and 14th centuries described the co-existence of Norman French and the emerging English now known as Middle English.
