Middle English
English Language: AQA A Level, topic 3.6.3
Middle English
Middle English refers to the period from around 1100 to 1700. You can think of it as being characterised by the three P's: Plague, Printing and Pronunciation!
French domination
- As the French and English began to work more closely together, we get some interesting lexical developments.
- English kept the words cow, sheep and swine, but gained beef, mutton and pork from the French.
- This was as a result of the French dominating the English – the French ate the meat, but the English worked with the animals, hence the lexical differences.
The French language
- Generally speaking, when new words entered our language from the French, they pushed the English equivalents to take a more specific meaning.
- In total, there are an estimated 10,000 words to have entered the English lexicon as a result of the interactions with the French.
Authority
- Ultimately, French (and Latin) became the language of power and authority, and as a result, they have become entrenched in our language.
Intermarriage
- As time went on, the French often ended up marrying the English and so language became more intertwined.
- The knock-on effect of this was that the children of these couples began to learn English (and not French).
Lingua franca
- In addition in this age, we see the use of English as a lingua franca (a language used as a common strand) between speakers of Latin and French.
The Black Death
The Black Death wiped out a massive percentage of the population of England, including a large proportion of those at the top of the hierarchy.
The fourth invasion
- What invaded?
- The Black Death.
- When?
- 1340s.
- Who or what was impacted?
- England (and Europe).
Death
- The Black Death wiped out a massive percentage of the population (estimated between 33-50%).
- Most importantly, it wiped out those at the top of the hierarchy (Latin-speaking clergymen and French aristocracy) and left a large number of speakers who were only English speaking.
English
- As a result, English became the dominant language of England.
- In addition, the language of the law became much more English due to the fact that the Latin-speaking lawyers had died.
Test yourself on Middle English
Which three P's characterise the Middle English period?
What percentage of the population did the Black Death wipe out?