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1. Part Two: Middle English Image Source: http://www.atlas.com

2. “Hey, how’s it going?” “Wow!You speak great English!” 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: English Takes Over At this time, English was already spoken by most working class people in England, but in 1348, English replaced Latin as the language spoken in schools. In the middle 1300s, English began to take over as the main language of England, replacing French. Sound effects found at: http://www.findsounds.com

3. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: English Takes Over I mean, Orderin the Court! Order in the Court! English also replaced French as the language of the law, the language spoken in the courts. This happened because of a law called The Statute of Pleading Law of 1362. Commander dans le tribunal! Sound effects found at: http://www.findsounds.com

4. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Image found at: http://www.wikipedia.org Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke. Geoffrey Chaucer, an English poet, wrote The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories, between 1387 and 1400. It is the story of a group of thirty pilgrims traveling to Canterbury England. Here you will see a copy of the beginning (prologue) of the Canterbury Tales, written in Middle English. Notice that more of the words are familiar than they were in Old English. Image and Sound found at: http://www.wwnorton.com/nto/noa/audio.htm

5. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. sweet Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke.

6. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke. “whose creative influence brings flowers into blossom"

7. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke. the warm, west wind

8. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke. woods

9. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke. follow along! Aries, the Greek God of War

10. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke. “so strongly are they moved by natural impluse."

11. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke. pilgrims who visited the Holy Land

12. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke. shores

13. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke. far-off

14. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke. shrines

15. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke. familiar

16. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke. Holy, blissful martyr, referring to St. Thomas Becket who was murdered at Canterbury.

17. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke. “who has cured them”

18. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: Canterbury Tales Mouse over the underlined words to see what they mean. Then, click the megaphone to hear how the poem sounds in Middle English. Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootethe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ramhis 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,And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,To fernehalwes, kowthe in sondry londes;And specially from every shires endeOf Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,That hem hath holpenwhan that they were seeke. sick

19. 1100 – 1500 A.D. - Middle English: The Printing Press! In 1447, a printing press withmovable type was invented by Johannes Gutenberg and broughtto England by William Caxton. This invention would allow the Englishlanguage to be spread throughoutthe world. In 1499, at the very end of the Middle English period, the first dictionary was printed on English soil. It was printed by Wynkyn de Wonde.

20. End of Part Two Click here to go back and watch this part again.