- •The aims of studying the history of the English language. Synchronic and diachronic approaches to studying the language. The concept of ‘language change’
- •Proto-Indo-European language and comparative linguistics
- •Proto-Germanic language, its development from Proto-Indo-European
- •Modern Germanic languages
- •The earliest descriptions of the Germans, the ancient tribes that spoke Germanic languages
- •Eastern Germanic, Western Germanic and Northern Germanic groups of languages
- •The runic alphabet. Old English alphabet and pronunciation.
- •Common phonetic characteristics of the Germanic languages
- •Changes in the system of vowels in the Germanic languages
- •Grammar characteristics common to the Germanic languages
- •Vocabulary
- •Periodisation in the history of the English language, Old English written records.
- •The historical background of Old English
- •Phonetic processes in Old English (the system of vowels)
- •Independent changes. Development of monophthongs
- •Phonetic processes in Old English (the system of consonants)
- •Velar consonants in Early Old English. Growth of New Phonemes
- •Old English dialects
- •The nominal system of Old English
- •The vocabulary and word-building means in Old English
- •Old English syntax.
- •The verbal system in Old English (grammatical categories)
- •The verbal system in Old English (morphological classification)
- •Economic and social conditions in the 11-12th centuries.
- •The Scandinavian invasions, the Norman Conquest & the way they influenced English.
- •Changes in the alphabet and spelling in Middle English. Middle English written records
- •Middle English dialects. The London dialect.
- •Phonetic processes in Middle English (the system of vowels)
- •Phonetic processes in Middle English (system of consonants)
- •Changes in the categories of the noun in Middle English
- •Practical Part
- •Breaking and Diphthongization
- •Comparison of Adjectives in Old English
- •Conjugation of Preterite-Presents in Old English
- •Conjugation of Verbs in Old English
- •Declension of Adjectives
- •Declension of Nouns in the Late 14th and 15th centuries
- •Declension of nouns Strong Declensions (Vocalic Stems)
- •Strong Declensions (Vocalic Stems)
- •Consonantal Stems
- •Declension of Personal Pronouns
- •Declension of sē, sēo, þæt (Demonstrative pronouns)
- •Development of Old English Diphthongs in Early Middle English
- •Development of Sibilants and Affricates in Early Middle English
- •Middle English Vowels
- •Morphological Classification of Nouns in Old English
- •Old English Consonants
- •Palatal Mutation
- •Peculiarities of Middle English Spelling
- •Principal Middle English Written Records
- •Quantitative Vowel Changes in Late Old English and Early Middle English
- •Strong Verbs in Old English
- •Weak Verbs in Old English
Palatal Mutation
-
Change illustrated
Examples
Vowels Mutated
prior to vowels
palatal
mutation
Gt or OE
(without palatal mutation)
OE
(palatal mutation)
NE
æ
a e
o
a: æ:
o e
o: e:
u y
u: y:
ea ie
eo
ea: ie:
eo:
Gt mats
OE sala, Gt saljan
Gt sandjan
OE lār, Gt laisjan
OE ān
OE dohtor
OE bōc
OE dōm
Gt gadōmjan
OE full
Gt fulljan
OE mūs
OE eald
OE feor
OE зelēafa
Gt galaubjan
OE þēod
mete
sellan
sendan
lǽran
ǽniз
dehter
bēc
dēman
fyllan
mỹs
ieldra
fierra
зelīefan
elþīediз
meat
sale, sell
send
‘teaching’, ‘teach’
one, any
daughter
book, books
doom
deem
full
fill
mouse, mice
old, elder
far, farther
belief,
believe
‘tribe’, ‘of a tribe’
Peculiarities of Middle English Spelling
-
Letters indicating vowels
Letters indicating consonants
Single letters
a [a]
y, as well as i [i]
o [o] or [u]
с [s] or [k]
f [f]
g [dз] or [g]
j [dз]
k [k]
s [s] or [z]
v (often spelt as u) [v]
y [j]
Digraphs
ee [e:] or [ε:]
ie [e:]
oo [o:]
ou [u:] or [ou]
ow [u:] or [ou]
ch, tch [t∫]
dg [dз]
gh [x] or [x’]
qu [kw]
th [Ө] or [ð]
sh, sch, ssh [∫]
wh [hw]
Principal Middle English Written Records
Approximate Dating |
Groups of Dialects |
|||||
Kentish |
South, Western or West Midland |
London |
Midland or East Midland |
Northern |
Scottish |
|
12th c. |
|
|
|
THE PETERBOROUGH CHRONICLE |
|
|
13th c. |
Kentish Sermons POEMA MORALE |
ANCREME RIWLE Layamon: BRUT |
PROCLAMATION of Henry III Political Poems |
ORMULUM; HAVELOK THE DANE |
THE PROSE RULE OF ST BENEDICT |
|
14th c. |
Dan Michael AY ENBITE OF INWIT |
Robert of Gloucester, a versified CHRONICLE SIR GAWAINE AND THE GREEN KNIGHT and other poems by the same author Higden: translation of POLYCHRONICON |
Romance of Chivalry: RICHARD COEUR DE LION and others; Wyclif’s works; Langland PIERS THE PLOWMAN; Chaucer’s works Gower’s works |
Adam Davy’s poems Romances of Chivalry; Miracle Plays |
CURSOR MUNDI; Richard Rolle of Hampole: THE PRICK OF CONSCIENCE |
J. Barbour: BRUCE; Henry the Minstrel: WALLACE |
15th c. |
|
|
Hoccleeve’s poems Lydgate poems Th. Malory: MORTE D’ARTHUR |
York Plays |
|
James I: KING’S QUHAIR |