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Historical period. The chronological boundaries of the Middle English period are not easy to define, and scholarly opinions vary. The dates that OED3 has settled on are 1150-1500. (Before 1150 being the Old English period, and after 1500 being the early modern English period.)
English language - Middle Ages, Dialects, Grammar: One result of the Norman Conquest of 1066 was to place all four Old English dialects more or less on a level. West Saxon lost its supremacy, and the centre of culture and learning gradually shifted from Winchester to London.
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.
The term Middle English literature refers to the literature written in the form of the English language known as Middle English, from the late 12th century until the 1470s. During this time the Chancery Standard, a form of London -based English, became widespread and the printing press regularized the language.
The early Middle English period. Poetry. The Norman Conquest worked no immediate transformation on either the language or the literature of the English.
Jun 26, 2012 · Middle English is characterized by a simplification of the inflectional system of Old English, already in progress before the Norman Conquest; by a profound change in the long vowels at the end of the period, especially during the 15th century; and by an expansion of the lexicon from French sources. General Overviews.
Apr 7, 2024 · In this historical scheme, Middle English is the language spoken and written between about 1100 and about 1500. In this period, English is influenced in many aspects of its vocabulary by a new French‐speaking ruling class, and by a clergy that wrote mainly in Latin.
