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English 121

English 121. October 11, 2005. Early Modern English (ca. 1400/50-1800). Early Modern English. From 1400/50 – after Chaucer (1340-1400) and beginning of Great Vowel Shift To the time of (Doctor) Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) – lexicographer, famous for his Dictionary

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English 121

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  1. English 121 October 11, 2005

  2. Early Modern English(ca. 1400/50-1800)

  3. Early Modern English • From 1400/50 – after Chaucer (1340-1400) and beginning of Great Vowel Shift • To the time of (Doctor) Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) – lexicographer, famous for his Dictionary • Key event: the advent of printing in Europe and its introduction in Great Britain (by William Caxton)

  4. The Great Vowel Shift • The introduction of the press in England, Caxton and standardization • The Reformation

  5. The Great Vowel Shift • Major change in pronunciation which started at the end of the Middle English period and took about 200 years to complete. • This phenomenon is what makes the language of Chaucer almost completely unrecognizable if compared to the language of Shakespeare

  6. /i:/ [fi:f] five /e:/ [me:dә] meed /ε:/ [klε:nә] clean /a:/ [na:mə] name /o:/ [ro:tə] root /u:/ [du:n] down [fαIv] [mi:d] [kle:n] [ne:m] [ru:t] [dαun] ME-Chaucer EME-Shakespeare

  7. Chain shift of the vowels; • involved 7 long vowels: /i:/, /u:/, /e:/, /o:/, /a:/, /ε:/, open ’o’ • All long vowels came to be pronounced with a greater elevation of the tongue and closing of the mouth • Those that could be raised (a, e, ε, o) were raised; • Those that could not be raised (u, i) became diphtongs • These sound shifts are to some extent reflected in spelling/orthography

  8. Examples • /i:/  /ij/ or /əi/ Bleynd (blind), feyr (fir) • /u:/  /ow/ or /ou/ Faunde (found), sauth (south) • /e:/  /i:/ Myte (meet), shype (sheep) • /o:/  /u:/ Bouc (book) • /a:/  /æ:/ then /ε:/, then /e:/

  9. Caxton (1422-1491) • Printer and editor • 1476  sets up his press in Westminster • Printed 103 different items (several are different editions of the same work) • Divided into 4 categories: • His own translations, mostly of Latin and French works • Works of the courtly poets (Chaucer, Lydgate, Gower) • Prose work in English (by Trevisa, Malory, Chaucer) • Miscellaneous works (books of indulgences, phrase books, a Latin grammar, etc.)

  10. Prologue to Eneydos, Caxton, 1490 Read the excerpt and try to figure out: • What he is talking about/what the themes are • Is there consistency in spelling? (Look for words that are repeated more than once, or for lexemes, endings, etc.) • What about punctuation?

  11. Caxton’s dilemmas • Should he use foreign words, or should he replace them by ‘native’ English words? • Which literary style should he use as a model? Chaucer? • How should he spell the language, given the wide scribal variation existing at the time? • Which REGIONAL VARIETY should he follow? • ... How could he make everyone happy?

  12. Caxton’s solution • Chose the dialect of London (dialect of the South-East Midlands) • In so doing, he took a decisive step in establishing that variety as ‘the English language’ • This, combined with the fact that he translated and published books in English, had a deep ‘standardizing’ effect on the language ( development of Standard English)

  13. Standardization • Process by which English was transformed from a vernacular language into one with a standardized variety that could be identified with England as a nation state • Standard language: language that provides agreed norms of usage, usually codified in dictionaries and grammars, for a wide range of institutional purposes (e.g. education, government, science)

  14. Standardization (cont’d) • 4 main processes: • Selection • Codification • Elaboration • Implementation

  15. Selection • Selection of an existing language variety as the basis. The chosen variety is usually that of the most powerful or socially influential or ethnic group.

  16. Codification • Reduction of internal variability in the selected variety, and the establishment of norms of grammatical usage and vocabulary. Since standard languages are rooted in written forms, standardization often involves the establishment of a standard spelling for forms.

  17. Elaboration • Ensuring that the new language can be used for a wide range of functions (e.g., education, government, business, leisure activities, etc.). This may involve the extension of linguistic resources; for example, new specialized vocabulary or new grammatical structures.

  18. Implementation • The standard language must be given currency by making texts available in it, by discouraging the use of alternative language varieties within official domains, and by encouraging users to develop a loyalty and pride in it.

  19. The Reformation • Breaking away, in many parts of northern Europe, from the Roman Catholic faith/Church. • Originally a matter of religious doctrine, but also a matter of ambition of some European leaders who wanted to set up states independent of the Pope’s authority

  20. Henry VIII of Tudor (1509-1547)

  21. Henry VIII (1509-1547) • Greatest of Tudor’s monarchs • Very concerned with succession  wanted to have a male heir at all costs • Married 6 times • ...but only had one son (King Edwards VI), and two daughters (Queen Mary I and Elizabeth I)

  22. Henry’s six wives • Catherine of Aragon • Anne Boleyn • Ann of Cleves • Jane Seymour • Catherine Howard • Catherine Parr

  23. Henry VIII (1509-1547) • First wife was Catherine of Aragon • They had Mary (Mary I) • Henry decided to annul his marriage to Catherine • No permission from Pope Clement VII • 1534, Henry broke with the Catholic Church and established himself both the head of the church and head of state  Reformation

  24. The Reformation • Henry closed and largely destroyed the monasteries (for centuries the repository of learning, history, and culture). • The country became Protestant  Protestantism became the official religion • The most radical revolution in beliefs to ever affect the nation.

  25. After Henry VIII • Edward VI • Mary I • Elizabeth I (1558-1603) • Daughter of Anne Boleyn

  26. Elizabeth I (1558-1603)

  27. The Renaissance (1485-1660) • The ‘rebirth’ of language and culture; renaissance of the arts – particularly poetry and drama • Shakespeare • The first American colonies (Virginia and Pennsylvania)

  28. The Renaissance • Poets: Sydney, Spenser, Wyatt, Donne • Dramatists: Marlowe, Shakespeare, Webster, (Ben) Jonson • Prose: Bacon, Raleigh

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