19

Module 7

MIDDLE ENGLISH

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND FROM THE 11^TH TO 15^TH c.

CHANGES IN THE PHONETIC SYSTEM

Outline

1. Historical background of language development in ME

1.1. Scandinavian invasion

1.2. Norman Conquest

1.3. Middle English dialects

1.4. Formation of the English national language

2. Spelling changes in Middle English. Rules of reading

3. Changes in the phonetic system in Middle English

3.1. The word stress

3.2. Vowels in the unstressed position

3.3. Vowels under stress

3.3.1. Qualitative changes

3.3.2. Quantitative changes

3.4. Consonants

4. Conclusions

1. Historical background from the 11th to 15th c.

The end of the Old English period and the beginning of Middle English is marked by two outstanding political events – 1) the Scandinavian invasion and 2) the Norman conquest.

1. Scandinavian invasion

The Scandinavian invasion was a long process embracing over two centuries. The first inroads of the Scandinavian vikings began at the end of the 8^th century. The part of England which suffered more from the invasion was the North-Eastern part of the country. From that part the invaders trying to conquer the whole of the country gradually proceeded to the South-West.

Hostilities ceased for a time and a peace treaty was concluded – the Treaty of Wedmore, in accordance with which the territory of the country was subdivided into two parts: the south-western part remained English under the rule of King Alfred and the north-eastern part was to be Scandinavian. That part was referred to as Danelau or Danelaw, i.e. the territory which was under the rule of Scandinavians, or "Danes".

The Scandinavians in England remained very strong through centuries, and at the beginning of the 11^th century, namely in the period between 1016 and 1042 the whole of England came under the Scandinavian rule – the conquest was completed and the Danish king was seated on the English throne. Although in 1042 England was back under English power, the English king who came to the throne – Edward the Confessor – was to be the last English king for more than three centuries.

The Scandinavians brought about many changes in different spheres of the English language: word-stock, grammar and phonetics. The influence of Scandinavian dialects was especially felt in the North and East of England, where the invaders used to settle.

There existed no political or social barriers between the English and the Scandinavians, who did not form the ruling class of the society but lived on an equal footing with the English. There were no cultural barriers between the two people, both of the nations being Germanic. The language difference was not so strong as to make their mutual understanding impossible.

In the areas of the heaviest settlement the Scandinavians outnumbered the Anglo-Saxon population, which is attested by geographical names. In Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Northumberland, Cumberland up to 75 per cent of the place-names are Danish or Norwegian. Altogether more than 1,400 English villages and towns bear names of Scandinavian origin (with the element thorp meaning "village", e:g. Woodthorp: Linthorp; toft 'a piece of land', e.g. Brimtoft, Lowestoft and others). Probably, in many districts people became bilingual, with either Old Norse or English prevailing.

Eventually the Scandinavians were absorbed into the local population both ethnically and linguistically.

Due to the contacts and mixture with Old Scandinavian, the Northern dialects (chiefly Northumbrian and East Mercian) had acquired Scandinavian features.

In later ages the Scandinavian element passed into other regions. The incorporation of the Scandinavian element in the London dialect and Standard English was brought about by the changing linguistic situation in England: the mixture of the dialects and the growing linguistic unification. Yet neither in the South nor in Standard English did the Scandinavian element ever assume such proportions as in the North-Eastern ME dialects.