Middle English refers to the dialects of the English language spoken in
parts of the British Isles after the Norman Conquest until
the late 15th century. Middle English developed out of Late Old English
seeing many dramatic changes in its grammar, pronunciation and writing customs.
The Middle English period ended about 1470, when a London-based dialect
became the main standard (Chancery Standard), aided by the invention of the printing press. Unlike Old English,
which adopted similar writing customs, written Middle English displays a wide
variety of scribal forms. The language of England, as used after 1470 and up to
1650, is known as Early Modern English.
During the Middle English period many Old English grammatical features were
simplified or disappeared. This includes the reduction (and eventual
elimination) of some grammatical cases, the simplification of noun and
adjective inflection, and the simplification of verb conjugations. Middle
English also saw a mass adoption of Norman-French vocabulary, especially words
related to politics, law, and art sand religion. Much of this adoption was due
to the emulation of the French-speaking Normans, who occupied England at the
time. Everyday English vocabulary remained mostly Germanic. Pronunciation
changed dramatically during the middle period, especially vowel sounds and
diphthongs, with the beginning of the great vowel shift.
Little survives of early Middle English literature, most likely due
to the occupation of French speaking Normans and the prestige
that came with writing in French rather than English. During the 14th century a
new style of literature emerged with the works of notable poets such as Chaucer
and John Wycliffe. Poets wrote both in the
vernacular and courtly English. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
remains the most studied and read work of the period.
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