Look through the article and explain the following data:
v Wessex – Winchester
v before the Norman Conquest
v the Thames
v an economic and political centre
v a birthplace of the national language
v a trade centre
v the base of the national language.
v Geoffrey Chaucer(1340-1400), John Gower (1325-1408), and John Wickliffe (1320-1384).
Rise of the London dialect
The history of London extends back to the Roman period. Even in OE times London was far the biggest town in Britain, although the capital of Wessex - the main OE kingdom - was Winchester. The capital was transferred to London a few years before the Norman Conquest. London is situated on the Thames, thus, it lies on the boundary line between the Midland and Southern dialects. In the 13th c. it already showed a mixture of Midland, and Southern elements, with the latter prevailing. As time passed, Midland elements grew at the expense of Southern ones. Towards the end of the 15th c. London dialect became influential in other parts of the country. This was due to the growth of its importance as an economic and political centre. London's geographical position was extremely favourable for a quick growth of its political importance and its role as a birthplace of the national language. Many roads along which England's internal trade was conducted crossed in London. Owing to the great depth of the Thames, sea ships could easily reach London, and it became a centre of the country's trade with the continent. London's role as a trade centre attracted many people from different parts of the country and paved the way for the elements of other dialects to penetrate into London English.
Thus, the London dialect, which became the base of the national English language, was a complex formation, reflecting various influences connected with the social and political life of the period. It contained, alongside East Midland, also South-Eastern (Kentish) and partly South-Western elements.
The London dialect of those centuries is represented by several important documents: the works of Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400), John Gower (1325-1408), and John Wickliffe (1320-1384). Analysis of these documents shows that East Midland elements gradually rose at the expense of South-Eastern ones.
Towards the end of the century the London dialect has arisen as a type of language essentially corresponding to the Midland dialects. It became the base of the national language.
REVIEW
Read an extract out of the Canterbury Tales, write out the ME words common to NE.
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PECULIAR CHARACTERISTICS OF THE МE LANGUAGE
| М E phonetics | |
| vowels | |
| consonants | |
| stress | |
| Orm ’s law of spelling | |
| М E vocabulary | |
| French words | |
| French affixes | |
| ME grammar | |
| gender | |
| inflections | |
| nouns | |
| article | |
| demonstratives | |
| adjectives | |
| adverbs | |
| pronouns | |
| verbs | |
| numerals | |
| ME literature (according to Arakin) | |
| Kentish | |
| London | |
| Midlands | |
| Southwestern | |
| East Anglian | |
| Northern varieties of Middle English | |
MODERN BRITAIN. PERIOD OF GREAT EMPIRES
| New English | |||||||
| 1536 | 1585 | 1591 | 1620 | 1624 | 1642 | 1666 | 1780 |
ACTIVATING THE STUDENTS’ BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Match the names with the pictures: William Shakespeare, Mary the Bloody, Christopher Columbus, Elizabeth the I, Henry the VIII
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