Lecture 1 Introduction

Middle English Dialects

OE Dialects	Kentish	West Saxon	Mercian		Northumbrian
					
ME Dialects	Kentish Dialect	South-Western Dialects	Midland Dialects		Northern Dialects
Examples	-	East Saxon Dialect London Dialect Gloucester Dialect	West Midland Dialect	East Midland Dialect	Yorkshire Dialect Lancashire Dialect

The most important dialect in the Middle English period was the LONDON DIALECT.


London Dialect

In the 12^th -13^th c. the London Dialect became the literary language and the standard, both in written and spoken form. The reasons why this happened:

• 
  The capital of the country was transferred from Winchester, Wesses, to London a few years before the Norman Conquests.
  
• 
  The East Saxon Dialect, that was the basis of the London Dialect got, became the most prominent in the Middle English period.
  
• 
  Most writers and authors of the Middle English period used the London Dialect in their works.
  

Features of the London Dialect:

• 
  The basis of the London Dialect was the East Saxon Dialect
  
• 
  The East Saxon Dialect mixed with the East Midland Dialect and formed the London Dialect.
  
• 
  Thus the London Dialect became more Anglican than Saxon in character  The London Dialect is an Anglican dialect.
  

H/w:
1. § 349-354, p. 181-183 in “История английского языка” by Т.А. Расторгуева (expansion of English overseas) (copioes).
Lecture 8
Middle English Written Records


Main Written Records of the Middle English Period
See § 292-295, p. 156-157; § 302-308, p. 160-163 in “История английского языка” by Т.А. Расторгуева (copies).


Geoffrey Chaucer and His Contribution
Geoffrey Chaucer was one of the most prominent authors of the Middle English Period and he set up a language pattern to be followed. He is considered to be the founder of the literary language of that period. Most authors of the Middle English Period tried to fallow this standard.
Features of the Chaucer’s Language:

• 
  Chaucer’s Language was the basis for the national literary language (15^th – 16^th c.).
  
• 
  New spelling rules (digraphs) and new rules of reading (1 letter = several sounds) appeared as compared to the Old English.
  
• 
  New grammatical forms appeared (Perfect forms, Passive forms, “to” Infinitive constructions, etc.).
  
• 
  Chaucer tried to minimize the number of the French loans in the English Language.
  
• 
  Chaucer introduced rhyme to the poetry.