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Middle English literature

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Middle English literature developed between 1066 and 1500 CE. After the Norman conquest of England in 1066, when William the Conqueror became king, the Norman dialect mixed with Old English to form Anglo-Norman, which became the standard language. During this period, Old English grammar and spelling underwent many changes as inflection was simplified. Literature from early Middle English is rare because writing in French was more prestigious than English until the 14th century, when notable writers like John Wycliffe and Geoffrey Chaucer emerged and wrote in the vernacular English. Middle English was easier to pronounce than Modern English because words were generally spoken how they looked.

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Middle EnglishLiterature (1066-1500) The Normans Williamthe conqueror The Middle EnglishLiterature isdevelopduringthe year 1066 upto year 1500. Middle Englishbegan when the Normansledby Duke WilliamII conquered EnglandandWilliambecamethe Kingandmean while knownasWilliamthe conqueror. Afterthe Normanconquestof England,Law Frenchbecame the standardlanguage of courts,parliament,andsociety. Middle Englishdevelopedoutof Late OldEnglish, seeingmanydramaticchangesinitsgrammar, pronunciationandorthography.The Normandialectsof the rulingclassesmixedwiththe Anglo-Saxonorthe OldEnglish of the people andbecame Anglo- Norman. Duringthe Middle EnglishperiodmanyOldEnglishgrammatical featureswere simplifiedor disappeared.Thisincludesthe reduction(andeventualelimination) of mostgrammatical cases,andthe simplificationof noun,adjective andverbinflection. Evennow,afternearlyathousandyears,the Normaninfluence onthe Englishlanguageisstill visible,althoughitdidnotbegintoimpactMiddle Englishuntil later.The FrenchandScandinavianswere the mostinfluential l onthe Englishlanguage.
Little survivesof earlyMiddle Englishliterature,mostlikelydue tothe Normandominationandthe prestige thatcame withwritinginFrenchratherthan English.Duringthe 14th centurya new style of literature emerged,withthe worksof notable writerssuchasJohnWycliffe andGeoffreyChaucer, whose CanterburyTalesremainsthe moststudiedandreadworkof the period.Poetswrote bothinthe vernacularandcourtlyEnglish. Middle Englishwasa loteasierthanModernday Englishbecause theysaidthe wordhow itsounded.For e.g.'Bomb' wouldbe pronouncedwiththe now silent'B'on the endof it.Modern Englishwould pronounce 'Knee'withoutthe silent'K'soit wouldbe 'Ni',whereasMiddle Englishwouldhave pronouncedthe silent'K'.
Middle English literature

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Middle English literature

  • 1. Middle EnglishLiterature (1066-1500) The Normans Williamthe conqueror The Middle EnglishLiterature isdevelopduringthe year 1066 upto year 1500. Middle Englishbegan when the Normansledby Duke WilliamII conquered EnglandandWilliambecamethe Kingandmean while knownasWilliamthe conqueror. Afterthe Normanconquestof England,Law Frenchbecame the standardlanguage of courts,parliament,andsociety. Middle Englishdevelopedoutof Late OldEnglish, seeingmanydramaticchangesinitsgrammar, pronunciationandorthography.The Normandialectsof the rulingclassesmixedwiththe Anglo-Saxonorthe OldEnglish of the people andbecame Anglo- Norman. Duringthe Middle EnglishperiodmanyOldEnglishgrammatical featureswere simplifiedor disappeared.Thisincludesthe reduction(andeventualelimination) of mostgrammatical cases,andthe simplificationof noun,adjective andverbinflection. Evennow,afternearlyathousandyears,the Normaninfluence onthe Englishlanguageisstill visible,althoughitdidnotbegintoimpactMiddle Englishuntil later.The FrenchandScandinavianswere the mostinfluential l onthe Englishlanguage.
  • 2. Little survivesof earlyMiddle Englishliterature,mostlikelydue tothe Normandominationandthe prestige thatcame withwritinginFrenchratherthan English.Duringthe 14th centurya new style of literature emerged,withthe worksof notable writerssuchasJohnWycliffe andGeoffreyChaucer, whose CanterburyTalesremainsthe moststudiedandreadworkof the period.Poetswrote bothinthe vernacularandcourtlyEnglish. Middle Englishwasa loteasierthanModernday Englishbecause theysaidthe wordhow itsounded.For e.g.'Bomb' wouldbe pronouncedwiththe now silent'B'on the endof it.Modern Englishwould pronounce 'Knee'withoutthe silent'K'soit wouldbe 'Ni',whereasMiddle Englishwouldhave pronouncedthe silent'K'.