“新经典”系列 语言学类 -- 英语发展史3. Middle_English.ppt

MiddleEnglish

Contents1.Overview2.BriefTimeline3.Pronunciation4.Grammar5.Vocabulary6.Literature7.ChanceryStandard8.GreatVowelShift9.Monarchs

Overview

MiddleEnglish[MedievalEnglish](1100-1500)

OverviewofMiddleEnglishThe12thcenturywitnessedarenewedinterestinLatin,Greek,andArabic,whichinturnspawnednumerousEnglishtranslations.Therewasawidespreadincreaseinliteracy,whileuniversitieswereestablishedatOxfordandCambridge.

FromNormanConquesttoChanceryStandardThecoronationofWilliamin1066usheredinanewsocialandlinguisticera.Butthechangeatthetoptookawhiletosinkin,andmanuscriptscontinuedtobewritteninOldEnglishaslateas1100.Frenchwasrapidlyestablishedasthelanguageofpowerandofficialdom.WilliamappointedFrench-speakingsupporterstoallthekeypositionsofpower,andthiseliteofbarons,abbotsandbishopsretainedclosetieswithitsnativeNormandy.ManyFrenchwordsflowedintotheEnglishlanguage.

FromNormanConquesttoChanceryStandardButEnglishcontinuedtobeusedbythemajorityofpeople.WithLatinthelanguageofthechurchandofeducation,Englandbecameatrulytrilingualcountry.

FromNormanConquesttoChanceryStandardEnglishcontinuedtoevolveaftertheNormanConquest,particularlyingrammar.Wordorderbecameincreasinglyimportantinconveyingthemeaningofasentence,ratherthanthetraditionaluseofspecialwordendings.Clevernewconstructionsenteredthelanguage,suchastheauxiliaryverbs‘had’and‘shall’(hadmade,shallgo).Spellingandpronunciationbegantoshifttoo,asNormanscribesspelledwordsusingtheirownconventions,suchasqu-insteadofcw-.Slowlybutsurely,distinctiveOldEnglishcharactersbegantodieout.

TheResurgenceofEnglish(1200–1400)EnglishusurpedFrenchasthelanguageofpowerwhenitwasusedforthefirsttimeattheopeningofparliamentin1362.Frenchcontinuedasthelanguageofthelaw