3. Conclusions
The changes that affected the
vowel and the consonant system in New English were great and
numerous.
Changes
of vowels:
-
Disappearance of vowels in
the unstressed position at the end of the word.
-
Changes of all long vowels –
the Great Vowel Shift.
-
Changes of
two short vowels: [a] > [æ] or []
and [u] > [].
-
Changes of
two diphthongs: [ai] > [ei], [au] > [:].
-
Lengthening of vowels before
[r] – due to the vocalization of consonants.
Changes
of consonants:
-
Appearance
of the consonant []
and the consonants [t],
[]
in new positions.
-
Disappearance or vocalisation
of the consonant [r].
-
Voicing of
fricative consonants – Verner’s Law in New English.
