Basic changes in English

1. phonological changes

OE	ME	NE
MONOFTHONGISATION OF DIPHTONGS	INTRODUCTION OF NEW TYPE DIPHTONGS	STABILISATION OF –LONG VOWELS IN OPEN SYLABLES/ CLOSE SYLABELS DIFTONGISATION OF THE NARROWEST VOWELS

THE GRADUAL NARROWINEY OF BROAD NOWELS

2. word formation changes

OE	ME	NE
derivation (affixation, suffixation, prefixation, infixation) world ending	concersion

3. grammatical changes

• synthetical structure of language ( - endings, - free word order in sentence)

• analytical structure ( - auxiliary words, - fixed word order in the sentence)

• simplificationof nominal grametical forms

• complication of verb grammar forms

4. alphabet changes

• runic alphabet ( Scandinavian origin)

  

• anglo-saxon insula variant( Latin symbols, runic symbols

• latin alphabet + French spelling tradition ( continental variant)

11. Old English or Anglo - Saxon Alphabet

Letter

A E

b

C

C ( K or K soft)

F ( F or V)

З (G or G soft Or J or X or X soft or H or Ɣ)

M

N ( N or Ng)

O

P

R

S ( S or Z)

U

W

Y

R

Sc – Sh ( scip –ship, scinan – shinen ( shine)

Sk- Sh

K ( soft) – Ts ( bank hill – bench, skirt - shirt)

12. Old English Phonological Changes in Details

1. Old English vowel changes

from OE to ME :

- assimilation

- narrowing

-fronting

2. Introduction or development of new diphthongs

- fracture/ breaking/ = diphthonginisation of short vowels before certain consonant clasters

form Early OE to Late OE ( ll, ll+ consonants, h- final, h+ consonants, r+ consonants)

	ll	Ea	P.G	Eal – all
Long e +	Ll+ cons	Ea	Alls	Eah-ear
	H final	Eo	Nah
	H cons	ea	GT	Ear-ar

it happened also under the influence of consonants:

• PG – OE

• V+V ( liquid & labial consonants – monopthong/ -diphthong

PG	OE	Ne
stains	stan	stone
auso	eare	ear
diups	deop	deep

a+i= a/I r

e+i= a/I l/m

a+u=ae p

e+u=eo b

i+u=io f

Palitalisation

• palatal consonants + monophthong change into diphthong

sk’ e - ie

k’ e long – ea

j’ e – ie

OHG	OE	NE
Latin Cerasus	cieres	cherries
Ghotic skadus	sceady	shade

The narrowing of vowel

• palating mutation ( I-U mlaut)

long e / a/ short o + I or J – e

a/ o/ o’ + I or J – long e or e

u/long u + I or J – y or y’

ea/eo/ea + I or J = ie

Ghotic mats OE mete NE meat

saljan sellan sale

lar lerar learn

boc bec book

fulljan fyllan fill

Lenghening the vowels

Short vowel in some position become long ( in combination LD/ MB/ND – become long)

cild- cild- child

cildry-cildry- children