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Classical Literature to the Middle Ages

Classical Literature to the Middle Ages. How the English Language Bridged the Gap. Germanic in origin Brought to England by invading Angles, Saxons, etc. in the 5 th Century Unrecognizable to most modern English readers and speakers

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Classical Literature to the Middle Ages

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  1. Classical Literature to theMiddle Ages How the English Language Bridged the Gap

  2. Germanic in origin Brought to England by invading Angles, Saxons, etc. in the 5th Century Unrecognizable to most modern English readers and speakers Basis of many short, simple farming terms, guttural words we still use today (1/6th of words) Old English (Pre-1100) • Surviving Old English • sheep • ox • earth • field • work • fight • laughter • here • there • Farming terms, guttural words

  3. Anglo-Saxon Invasions of England

  4. Old English—Beowulf (7th Century) Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon. Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad, weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah, oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra ofer hronrade hyran scolde, gomban gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning! Ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned, geong in geardum, þone god sende folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat þe hie ær drugon aldorlease lange hwile. http://www.engl.virginia.edu/OE/Beowulf.Readings/Prologue.html

  5. Brought about by the Norman Conquest of 1066 Mixture of Old English with Norman French and Latin Much more similar to modern English Origin of surviving from each words related to social class usage Example beef vs. cow Romantic Roots Government Education Religion Law Germanic Roots Farming Household items Other labor Middle English (1100-1500)

  6. Old English to Middle English Texts Old English Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum si þin nama gehalgod tobecume þin rice gewurþe þin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us to dæg and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge ac alys us of yfele soþlice. Middle English Oure fadir þat art in heuenes halwid be þi name; þi reume or kyngdom come to be. Be þi wille don in herþe as it is doun in heuene. yeue to us today oure eche dayes bred. And foryeue to us oure dettis þat is oure synnys as we foryeuen to oure dettouris þat is to men þat han synned in us. And lede us not into temptacion but delyuere us from euyl.

  7. Here bygynneth the Book of the tales of Caunterbury Whan that aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of march hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth Tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Hath in the ram his halve cours yronne, And smale foweles maken melodye, That slepen al the nyght with open ye (so priketh hem nature in hir corages); Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages, When April with his showers sweet with fruit The drought of March has pierced unto the root And bathed each vein with liquor that has power To generate therein and sire the flower; When Zephyr also has, with his sweet breath, Quickened again, in every holt and heath, The tender shoots and buds, and the young sun Into the Ram one half his course has run, And many little birds make melody That sleep through all the night with open eye (So Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage)- Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage, Middle English—Geoffrey ChaucerThe Canterbury Tales (14th Century)

  8. The language of Shakespeare (and the Renaissance Faire) The Printing Press Regularization of Spelling (but not of pronunciation) The Great Vowel Shift Examples: Pleasure--Plaisir Knight—knyght Night--nicht Name Love Note: This change in pronunciation took place over centuries, not overnight. Early Modern English (1500-1800)

  9. Early Modern English (1500-1800) • The Great Vowel Shift in Action • /aː/ → /eɪ/ (as in make) • /ɛː/ → /eɪ/ or /iː/ (as in break) • /eː/ → /iː/ (as in feet) • /iː/ → /aɪ/ (as in mice) • /ɔː/ → /oʊ/ (as in boat) • /oː/ → /uː/ (as in boot) • /uː/ → /aʊ/ (as in mouse) • This means that the vowel in the English word make was originally pronounced as in modern English father. The vowel in feet was originally pronounced as a long Latin-like e sound; the vowel in mice was originally what the vowel in feet is now, and the vowel in mouse was originally what the vowel in moose is now.

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