Historical Background from the 11th to 15th century,
16th-19th c.
Hours
Plan
1. Economic and social conditions in the 11th – 12th c.
2. The Scandinavian invasions.
3. The Norman conquest.
4. Early and Late Middle English dialects.
5. Development of the natinal literary english language (16th-19th c.)
6. Spelling changes and the rules of reading.
Literature
Rastorgueva T.A. A History of English. M.,1983; M.,2005. - p.1149-188
Ilyish B. History of the English language. Л. 1972. – p 134-160.
Reznik R.V., Sorokina T.S., Reznik I.V. A History of the English Language. M., 2001. – p. 48-77.
Аракин В.Д. История английского языка. М., 1985. – c. 103-110, 177-186.
Иванова И.П., Чахоян Л.П., Беляева Т.М. История английского языка. СПб., 1998. с. 19-22, 28-31, 35-39.
Смирницкий А.И. Лекции по истории английского языка (средний и новый период). М., 1998. – 14-51, 140-153.
Economic and social conditions. Period of established feudalism. Natural economy. Tools, local feuds, travel restrictions.
Effect of the Scandinavian invasions. “Danelaw”. Political annexation of England by Denmark under Canute. The impact of the Scandinavian element on the linguistic situation. The increased regional differences.
The Norman conquest. The battle of Hastings (1066). Effect of the Norman conquest on the linguistic situation. The origin of the Normans. Norman domination in Britain. The decline of the written form of English. Official recognition of English. Early Middle English dialects. Southern (Kentish and South-Western), Central (West Midland ahd East Midland) and Northern. Extension of the English territory.
Early Middle English written records. Peterborough Chronicles.
Late Middle English. Reestablishment of English as the language of state and literature. Dialects in Late Middle English. London dialect. The inhabitants of London throughout its history. The Age of Chaucer.
Development of the national literary language in the 16th – 19th centuries. Economic and political unification. Development of the capitalist mode of production. The end of the Hundred Year’s War. The War of Roses. Establishment of the absolute monarchy of Tudors. Conditions for linguistic unity. Consolidation of the English nation, formation of the national language. Progress of culture. Introduction of printing. W. Caxton and his spelling.
Expansion of English over the British Isles. Flourishing of literature in Early New English (Literary Renaissance). The age of Shakespeare. Establishment of the Written Standard. Normalising tendencies. Growing of the Spoken Standard. Varieties of English in Britain. Geographical Expansion of English outside the British Isles.
Spelling changes in Middle English. Rules of reading.
Peculiarities of Middle English Spelling
| Letters indicating vowels | Letters indicating consonants |
| Single letters | |
| a [a] | с[s] or [k] |
| y, as well as i [i] | f [f] |
| о [o] or [u] | g [d3] or [g] j [d3] k [к] s[s] or [z] v(often spelt as u) [v] y [j] |
| Digraphs | |
| ее [e:J or [a:] | ch, tch [ts] |
| ie [e:] | dg [d3] |
| oo [o:] or [ر:] | gh [xl or [x'] |
| ou [u:] or [ou] | qu [kw] |
| ow [u:] or [ou] | th [ð] or [θ] sh, sch, ssh [s] wh [hw] |
Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote
[xwan 'θat ap'rille 'wiθ his ' su:rəs 'so:tə]
The droghte of March hath perced.to the roote,
[θə 'druxt of 'marts haθ 'persəd 'to: θə 'rоtə
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
[and 'ba:ðəd 'evri 'vein in 'swits li'ku:rl
|Of which verhi engendred is the flour;
[of 'xwits ver'tju: en'd3endred 'is θə 'flu:r ]
(When April with his sweet showers
The draught of March has pierced to the root,
And bathed every vein in such liquor,
Of Which (whose) virtue (power) engendered is the flower...)
Lecture 8
PhoneticChanges in Middle and Early New English
Hours
Plan
1. Word accentuation in ME and ENE.
2. Changes in u stressed vowels.
3. Quantaive and qualitative changes in stressed vowels.
4. Evolution of consonants.
Literature
Rastorgueva T.A. A History of English. M.,1983; M.,2005. - p.188-218
Ilyish B. History of the English language. Л. 1972. – p 160-174, 254-273, 299-303.
Reznik R.V., Sorokina T.S., Reznik I.V. A History of the English Language. M., 2001. – p. 126-145.
Аракин В.Д. История английского языка. М., 1985. – c. 110-123, 187-207.
Бруннер К. История английского языка. М., 2003. – Т.1, с. 202-259, 262-276, 285-322.
Иванова И.П., Чахоян Л.П., Беляева Т.М. История английского языка. СПб., 1998. с. 69-97.
Смирницкий А.И. Лекции по истории английского языка (средний и новый период). М., 1998. – 52-94, 154-181.
Word stress. New accentual patterns. Stress in loan-words: recessive and rhythmic tendencies. Phonological function of stress: distinguishing a verb from a noun.
Changes in unstressed vowels. The tendency towards phonetic reduction. Loss of unstressed vowels. The appearance of new unstressed vowels.
Main trends in the changes of stressed vowels. Quantitative vowel changes in Early Middle English. Phonetic conditions of lengthening and shortening. Restrictions to the rules. Qualitative vowel changes.