Characteristics of middle english literature

Middle English

By Yojagomez
  • 1066

    The Background of the Norman Conquest

    The Background of the Norman Conquest
    At the end of the Old English period, the Normans invaded and conquered England. Edward the Confessor was the last king, descent from Alfred the Great. Edward was defeater by King Harold, and this was killed by an arrow.
    In the five generations intervening between Duke Rollo and Duke William, the Normans had become French culturally and linguistically. Norman French dialect spoken by the dialect develop in England to Anglo - Norman.
  • Period: 1100 to 1498

    The Middle English Period

    The beginning and ending of the Middle English period, grammatical and pronunciation changes were develop during this time.
    The term Middle indicates that the period was a transition between Old English and early Modern English.
  • Period: 1100 to 1500

    Changes in Pronunciation, Grammar and more...

    During the Middle English Period principal consonants were modified.
    The long vowel sounds were remained unchanged although their spelling possibilities altered.
    Diphthongs changed, the old ones disappeared and a number of new ones develop.
    Shortening and Lengthening of vowels caused modifications in the pronunciation and grammar.
    As a result of the merging of unstressed vowels into a single sound, the number of distinct inflectional endings in English Was drastically reduced.
  • 1204

    The Re-ascendancy of English

    The Re-ascendancy of English
    After the Norman Conquest, England was trilingual. Latin was the language of the Church, Norman French of the government and English of the majority of the population.
    The Loss of Normandy by King John, removed an important tie with France, and subsequent events were to loosen the remaining ties.
  • 1258

    Privy Council

    Privy Council
    King Henry III was forced by his barons to accept the Provisions of Oxford, establishing a Privy Council to oversee the administration of the government. English constitution and parliament Growth.
  • 1337

    The Fourteenth Century

    The Fourteenth Century
    The Hundred Years´War, saw England and France bitter enemies in a long, drawn - out conflict that gave the deathblow to the already moribund use of French in England.
  • Period: 1348 to 1350

    The Black Death

    The Black Death, or bubonic plague, reinforced by pneumonia, raged during the middle of the fourteenth century killing a third of the half of the population.
  • 1362

    The Statute of Pleadings

    The Statute of Pleadings
    This Statute was enacted, requiring all court proceedings to be conducted in English.
  • 1381

    The Peasants´Revolt

    The Peasants´Revolt
    Led by Wat Tyler and sparked by a series of poll taxes, was unsuccessful but it presaged social changes that were fulfilled centuries later.
  • 1384

    The Wycliffite Bible

    The Wycliffite Bible
    John Wycliffe had challenged by authority of the church in both doctrinal and organizational matters as a par of a movement called Lollardy, which translated the Bible into English.
  • 1399

    The End of the Fourteenth Century

    The End of the Fourteenth Century
    Public documents and records began to be written in English and Henry IV used English to claim the throne.
  • 1400

    The Greatest Poet of Middle English

    The Greatest Poet of Middle English
    Geoffrey Chaucer one of the greatest of all times in any language, wrote in both French and English, but hs significant work is in English. This language was established as the language of England in Literary and other uses.
  • 1430

    The Chancery Office

    The Chancery Office
    Began record keeping in a form of East Midland English, which became the written standard of English.
  • 1476

    Literacy

    Literacy
    William Caxton brought printing to England, thus promoting literacy throughout the population.
  • 1485

    The War of the Roses

    The War of the Roses
    Henry Tudor became king of England, ending thirty years of civil strife, called the War of the Roses, and introducing 118 years of the Tudor Dynasty.
  • 1497

    English Territorial

    English Territorial
    John Cabot sailed to Nova Scotia, foreshadowing England Territorial expansion overseas.
  • 1500

    The Rise of a London Standard

    The Rise of a London Standard
    The London Speech essentially East Midland in its characteristics, though showing Northern and to a less extent Southern influences, should in time have become a standard for all of England.
    Until the late fifteenth century, authors wrote in the dialect of their native regions. Authors like Sir Gawin and the Green Knight and Piers Plowman wrote in the West Midland dialect.