Seminar 4 Middle English & New English Phonological Systems Plan

1. Middle English Phonological System.

2.1. Middle English Vowel System;

2.2. Middle English Consonant System.

2. Modern (New) English Phonological System.

3.1. Modern (New) English Vowel System;

3.2. Modern (New) English Consonant System.

Objectives: The students will be able to

• familiarize with the terms “Middle English” and “Modern (New) English”;

• account for major phonological processes in the period of Middle English and Modern (New) English;

• compare Grimm’s Law and Verner’s Law

• analyse pictures, tables on the theme.

Strategies for learning:

• Focus attention on the procedures of the plan.

• List a number of key terms by memory.

• Prepare a one-page sketch of the lecture.

• Review the main points of the lecture, follow the outline.

Points for discussion

1. What are the reasons of fundamental changes in Middle English phonology?

2. What phonological features are typical of that period?

3. What are the features of Word Stress in ME and Early NE?

4. Comment on quantitative vowel changes in Early ME.

5. Comment on qualitative vowel changes in Early ME.

6. What sounds (consonants or vowels) were more stable?

7. What consonants appeared in ME?

8. What phonological factor and when separated Middle English from Modern English?

9. What happened to long vowels and short vowels?

10. What are the typical features of Modern (New) English Consonant System?

Practical assignments

1. Explain the phonetic changes in the following oe words which took place in me.

OE hlāf – ME lof ‘loaf’, ‘bread’’ OE ʒōs –ME goos ‘goose’

OE hlāf – ME lof ‘loaf’, ‘bread’ OE lufian – ME loven ‘to love’

OE sēcan – ME seken, ‘to seek’ OE dæʒ– ME day ‘day’

OE cild– ME child ‘child’ OE nama – ME name ‘name’

OE hlysten – ME listen ‘to listen’ OE ecʒe– ME edge ‘edge’

OE fisc – ME fish ‘to fish’ OE fȳr – ME fir ‘fire’

2. State which words are oe and which words are me. Give your reasons:

Sōna – sone nefa – neve

Mous – mūs child –cild

ʒȳt –yet mydnyght–mid-niht

3. Fill in the gaps:

food ME [o:] EModE [ __ ] PDE [ __ ]

boat ME [ɔ:] EModE [ __ ] PDE [ __ ]

tide ME [i:] EModE [ __ ] PDE [ __ ]

make ME [æ:] EModE [ __ ]/EModE [ __ ] PDE [ __ ]

green ME [e:] EModE [ __ ] PDE [ __ ]

meat ME [ɜ:] EModE [ __ ] PDE [ __ ]

house ME [u:] EModE [ __ ] PDE [ __ ]

4. Read the following Early Modern text. Some words are marked.

a) Compare their pronunciation to the PDE pronunciation and write down the development of their vowels (example: make EModE [æ:] - PE [eɪ]).

b) Which of these developments belong to the GVS? Which of them belong to other changes described above? (example: make EModE [æ:] - PE [eɪ] belongs to the GVS)

T3 Lily/Colet (1549)

(48) The first and chieffest poynte is, that the diligente

mayster make not the scholar haste to muche, but that he

(50) in contynuance and dilygence of teachynge, make hym re-

herse so, that whyle he haue perfectely that, that is be-

hynde, he suffre hym not to go forwarde. For this postynge

haste, ouerthroweth and hurteth a greate sorte of wyttes,

and casteth them into an amasednesse, whan they knowe not,

(55) howe they shall eyther goe forewarde or backewarde[…]

muche EModE [ __ ] PDE [ __ ] development belongs to

but EModE [ __ ] PDE [ __ ] development belongs to

teachynge EModE [ __ ] PDE [ __ ] development belongs to

greate EModE [ __ ]/EModE [ __ ] PDE [ __ ] development belongs to

backewarde EModE [ __ ] PDE [ __ ] development belongs to