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2.3. Middle English (1100-1500)
In 1066 William the Conqueror, the
Duke of Normandy (part of modern France),
invaded and conquered England. The new
conquerors (called the Normans) brought with
them a kind of French, which became the
language
of the Royal Court, and the ruling
and business classes. For a period there was a
kind of linguistic class division, where the
lower classes
spoke English and the upper
classes spoke French. In the 14th century
English became dominant in Britain again, but
with many French words added. This language
is called Middle English. It was the language
of the great poet Chaucer (c1340-1400), but it
would still be difficult for native English
speakers to understand.
2.4. Early Modern English (1500-1800)
Towards
the end of Middle English, a
sudden and distinct change in pronunciation
started, with vowels being pronounced shorter
and shorter. From the 16th century the British
had contact with many peoples from around
the world. This, and the Renaissance of
Classical learning, meant that many new words
and phrases entered the language. The
invention of printing also meant that there was
now a common language in print.
Books
became cheaper and more people learned to
read. Printing also brought standardization to
English. Spelling and grammar became fixed,
and
the dialect of London, where most
publishing houses were, became the standard.
In 1604 the first English dictionary was published.
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