Historical Background of the Middle English Period
“Historical Background of the Middle English Period”
Plan.
1. The problem of periodization. The role of the Middle English
Period in the history of English language.
2. The influence of the Scandinavian invasions.
3. The Norman Conquest.
4. Early Middle English dialects. Neighborhood of three languages
in England.
5. Written records of the M. E. P.
6. Late M. E. P.
7. Development of English dialects and the rise of London dialect.
The historical development of a language is a continuous,
uninterrupted process without sudden breaks or rapid transformations.
Therefore any periodisation imposed on language history by linguists, with
precise dates, might appear artificial. There are some periodizations of
the history of English language. The author of the first scientific
historical phonetic and grammar of En. Language. H. Sweet suggested the
periodization that corresponds to the morphological structure of different
centures. He called the Old English Period – ‘The period of full endings ‘,
the M. E. P. – ‘The period of reduced endings’ , the New En. P. – ‘The
period of lost endings.’ But this periodization is not full because it is
not quite right to devide the logical features, but phonological or
syntactical ones (they were not mentioned in the periodization.) So, thus I
consider that any periodization is based on some principles, but can’t
touch all the sides of the language.
One of the prominent and well-known English scientists Henry Sweet
worked out several periodisations of the history of English language. He
suggested to single out the period of transition and to subdivide the
transitional stage between the Old and the Middle English Periods cover
1100-1200. H. Sweet reckoned 1200 to be the limning of the Middle English
based on morphological phenomena the Middle English Period is considered to
le the Period of Levelled English.
Another periodization is extralinguistical. It’s based on the
historical events, which influenced on the English language. I must notice
that this one is the most traditional. The commonly accepted traditional
periodization divides English language history into three periods: Old
English, Middle English and New English with boundaries attached to
definite dates and historical effects affecting the language. Old English
is connected with the German settle in Britain (5th century) and with the
beginning of writing (7th century) and ends with the Norman Conquest
(1066). Middle English begins with Norman Conquest end ends on the
introduction of printing (1475). The Middle English period itself may be
also divided into two smaller ones – Early Middle English and Late Middle
English.
Early Middle English covers the main events of the 14th century. It
is the stage of greatest dialectal divergence caused by the feudal system
and by foreign influences-Scandinavian and French. The dialectal division
of present-day English owes its origin to this period of history. Great
changes of the language took place at all the levels, especially in lexis
and grammar.
Later 14th till the end of the 15th century is a time known as Late
or Classical Middle English. This period umbra’s the age of Chaucer, the
greatest English medieval writer and forerunner of the English Renaissanu,
and is characterized by restoration of English to the position of the state
and literary language and by literary flourishing, which has a stabilizing
effect on language, so that the rate of linguistic changes was slowed down.
At the same time the written forms of the language developed and improved.
The Old English period in the history of the language corresponds to
the position of the state and literary language corresponds to the
transitional stage from the slave-owning and tribal system to the feudal
system in the history of Britain. In the 11th century feudalism was already
well established. According to a survey made in the late 11th c. slaves and
freemen were declining classes. The majority of the agricultural population
(and also of the total population, which amounted to about 2.000.000
people) was bound to their lord and land. Under natural economy,
characteristre of feudalism, most of the things needed for the life of the
lord and the villain were produced on the estate. Feudal manors were
separated from their neighbors by tells, local feuds, and various
restrictions concerning settlement, traveling and employment. These
historical conditions produced a certain influence on the development of
the language.
In Early M.E. the differences between the regional dialects grew.
Never in history, before or after, was the historical background more
favorable for dialectal differentiation. The main is the dialectal division
in England, which survived in later ages with some slight modification of
the feudal stage of British history.
In the age poor communication dialect boundaries often coincided with
geographical barriers such as rivers, mashes, forests, and mountains, as
these barriers would hinder the diffusion of linguistic features.
In addition to economic, geographical and social conditions,
dialectal differences in Early M.E. were accentuated by some historical
events, namely the Scandinavian invasions and the Norman Conquest.
Though the Scandinavian invasions of England are dated in the Old
English period, there effect on the language is particularly apparent in
M.E. Eventually the Scandinavians were absorbed into the local population
both ethnically and linguistically, because new settlers and the English
intermarried and intermixed; they lived close together and didn’t differ
either in social rank or in the level of culture and customs; they
intermingled the more easily as there was no linguistic barrier between
them.
The increased regional differences of English in the Scandinavian
influence 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 is 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”). Probably, in many districts
people became bilingual, with either Old Norse or English prevailing.
Besides due to the contacts and mixture with O Seand, the Northern dialects
(chiefly North Umbrian and East Mercian) had acquired lasting and something
indelible Scandinavian features. We find a large admixture of Scandinavian
words in Early M.E. records coming from the North East whereas contemporary
text from other regions are practically devoid of Scandinavian borrowings.
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 if the dialects and the grooving linguistic
unification.
Soon after Canute’s death (1042) and the collapse of his empire the
old Anglo-Saxon line was restored but their reign was short-lived. The new
English king, Edward the Confessor (1942-1066), who had been reared in
France, brought over many Norman advisors and favorites; he distributed
among them English lands and wealth to the considerable resentment of the
Anglo-Saxon nobility and church hierarchy. He not only spoke French himself
but insisted on it being spoken by the nobles at his court. William, Duke
of Normandy, visited his court and it was rumored that Edward appointed him
his successor. In many respites Edward paved the for Norman infiltration
long before the Norman Conquest. However, the government of the country was
still in the hands of Anglo-Saxon feudal lords, headed by the powerful Earl
Godwin of Wessex.
In 1066, upon Edward’s death, the Elders of England proclaimed Harold
Godwin king of the English. As soon as the news reached William of
Normandy, he mustered a big army by promise of land and plunder (one third
of his soldiers were Normans, other, mercenaries from all over Europe) and,
with the support of the Pope, landed in Britain.
In the battle of Hastings, fought in October 1066, Harold was killed
and the English were defeated. This date is commonly known as the date of
the Norman Conquest, though the military occupation of the country was not
completed until a few years later. After the victory of Hastings, William
by passed London cutting it off from the North and made the William of
London and the bishops at Westminster Abbey crown him king. William his
barons laid waster many lands in England, burning down villages and
estates. They conducted a relentless campaign of subjugation, devastated
and almost depopulated Northumbria and Mercia, which tried to rise against
the conquerors. Huge stone Norman castles if earthen forts and wooden
stockades, built during the campaign, soon replaced scores. Most of the
lands of the Anglo-Saxon lords passed into the hands of the Norman barons,
William’s own possession comprising about one third of the country. The
Normans occupied all the important ports in the church, in thee government
and in the army.
Following the conquest hundreds of people from France crossed the
Channel to make their home in Britain were also dukes of Normandy and,
about a hundred years later, took possession of the whole western half of
France, thus bringing England into still closer contact with the continent.
French monks, tradesmen and craftsmen flooded the southwestern towns, so
