Long-vowel shifts in English, c. 1050-1700 : evidence from spelling

The English Language Has Undergone Many Sound Changes In Its Long History. Some Of These Changes Had A Profound Effect On The Pronunciation Of The Language. A Number Of These Significant Instances Of Language Evolution Are Generally Grouped Together And Termed The 'great Vowel Shift'. These Changes Are Generally Considered To Be Unrelated To Other, Similar Long-vowel Changes Taking Place A Little Earlier. This Book Assesses An Extensive Range Of Irregular Middle English Spellings For All These Changes, With A View To Identifying The Real Course Of Events: The Dates, The Chronology, And The Dialects That Stand Out As Being Innovative. Using Empirical Evidence To Offer A Fresh Perspective And Drawing New, Convincing Conclusions, Stenbrenden Offers An Interpretation Of The History Of The English Language Which May Change Our View Of Sound Change Completely-- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Development Of Oe ā -- 3. The Development Of Oe æ -- 4. The Development Of Oe ē And ēo -- 5. The Development Of Me ī -- 6. The Development Of Oe ō -- 7. The Development Of Me ū -- 8. The Development Of Oe Ȳ -- 9. Summary And Conclusions. Gjertrud Flermoen Stenbrenden (university Of Oslo). Includes Bibliographical References (pages 323-337) And Index. The English Language Has Undergone Many Sound Changes In Its Long History. Some Of These Changes Had A Profound Effect On The Pronunciation Of The Language. A Number Of These Significant Instances Of Language Evolution Are Generally Grouped Together And Termed The 'great Vowel Shift'. These Changes Are Generally Considered To Be Unrelated To Other, Similar Long-vowel Changes Taking Place A Little Earlier. This Book Assesses An Extensive Range Of Irregular Middle English Spellings For All These Changes, With A View To Identifying The Real Course Of Events: The Dates, The Chronology, And The Dialects That Stand Out As Being Innovative. Using Empirical Evidence To Offer A Fresh Perspective And Drawing New, Convincing Conclusions, Stenbrenden Offers An Interpretation Of The History Of The English Language Which May Change Our View Of Sound Change Completely-- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Development Of Oe ā -- 3. The Development Of Oe æ -- 4. The Development Of Oe ē And ēo -- 5. The Development Of Me ī -- 6. The Development Of Oe ō -- 7. The Development Of Me ū -- 8. The Development Of Oe Ȳ -- 9. Summary And Conclusions. Gjertrud Flermoen Stenbrenden (university Of Oslo). Includes Bibliographical References (pages 323-337) And Index. "The English language has undergone many sound changes in its long history. Some of these changes had a profound effect on the pronunciation of the language. A number of these significant instances of language evolution are generally grouped together and termed the 'Great Vowel Shift'. These changes are generally considered to be unrelated to other, similar long-vowel changes taking place a little earlier. This book assesses an extensive range of irregular Middle English spellings for all these changes, with a view to identifying the real course of events: the dates, the chronology, and the dialects that stand out as being innovative. Using empirical evidence to offer a fresh perspective and drawing new, convincing conclusions, Stenbrenden offers an interpretation of the history of the English language which may change our view of sound change completely"-- Provided by publisher "The English language has undergone many sound changes in its long history. Some of these changes had a profound effect on the pronunciation of the language. A number of these significant instances of language evolution are generally grouped together and termed the 'Great Vowel Shift'. These changes are generally considered to be unrelated to other, similar long-vowel changes taking place a little earlier. This book assesses an extensive range of irregular Middle English spellings for all these changes, with a view to identifying the real course of events: the dates, the chronology, and the dialects that stand out as being innovative. Using empirical evidence to offer a fresh perspective and drawing new, convincing conclusions, Stenbrenden offers an interpretation of the history of the English language which may change our view of sound change completely"_Contracub Why does English pronunciation differ from other related languages? This book addresses this and other questions by analysing a high number of innovative Middle English spellings. Stenbrenden explores the changes in long-vowel pronunciation, using empirical data to date, localise and interpret the beginning of these changes.