English Language Periods and Classic Artists

Old English

650-1100 C.E., Germanic roots, limited vocabulary, non-intelligible to modern English speakers

Middle English

1100-1500 C.E., French and Latin Influences, increase in standardization after teh 1439 invention of the printing press

ex. Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales

The Great Vowel Shift

Major linguistic changes during the Middle Ages where long vowel sounds shifted upwards in pronunciation, ad some consonants also changed. Thought to be caused by social, cultural, and linguistic factors, including population movement, dialect mixing after the black death, and French influence

Early Modern English

1500-1800 C.E., further standardization, influence by the renaissance, expanded vocabulary

Late Modern English

1800-Present, expanded vocabulary, standardization of grammar and spelling, global spread, emergence of American English

Contemporary American English

1990-Present, diverse influences, simplified spelling, innovative vocabulary, technological influence, gender-neutral pronouns