Week 9 Flashcards
(37 cards)
What was the significance of Chancery starting to keep records in English around 1430?
It marked the use of the East Midland dialect in official records, contributing to English gaining national status.
When was the printing press introduced to England, and who introduced it?
In 1476, William Caxton introduced the printing press to England.
Why was Caxton’s printing press significant for the English language?
The printing press created a market for English print, helping English to become more widely used and standardised.
What action did Henry VII take in 1485 regarding the English language?
In 1485, Henry VII made English the language of the court, replacing French statutes with English ones.
What was the effect of Henry VII making English the court language?
English gained national importance and began to be seen as a language of government and law.
What new problem arose as English gained national status?
There was a need to determine which dialect of English would be understood by the majority.
What was Caxton’s “problem” in terms of dialect? What dialect was selected as the Standard during the Early Modern English period?
There was no standardised dialect, so Caxton had to choose a dialect accessible to most readers; he chose the London area dialect.
The dialect from the London area, supported by Chancery, printing, and court use, was selected as the Standard.
What time frame defines the Early Modern English period?
Early Modern English is generally defined as c.1476 to 1700.
How did spelling change during the Early Modern English period?
Spelling became less variable as standardisation efforts began to take hold.
What major linguistic change began during the Early Modern English period? By what year was the Great Vowel Shift (GVS) largely completed?
The Great Vowel Shift (GVS) started during this period. It transformed the pronunciation of English long vowels, which moved “upward” in the mouth.
The vowel sound in “bite” (Middle English /i:/ as in “beet”) shifted to the modern /aɪ/.
The vowel sound in “meet” shifted from /e:/ to /i:/.
The GVS was mostly completed by 1700.
What linguistic milestone was attempted around 1700?
The first attempt to establish rules for Standard English was made.
How did the view of English and “Englishness” change during the Early Modern period?
English became seen as a language at the center of the world, aligning with the Renaissance’s peak in England, fostering national pride and an expanded role for English in literature, science, and government.
Which intellectual movement encouraged freedom in exploration, discovery, and artistic expression during the Early Modern English period?
Humanism, which replaced the medieval focus on “memento mori” with “carpe diem,” encouraged exploration, creativity, and intellectual pursuits.
What effect did the Renaissance have on language and vocabulary in England?
The Renaissance stimulated interest in classical languages and encouraged the borrowing and creation of new English words, particularly in arts, science, and invention.
What was the impact of the Reformation on English language and literacy?
The Reformation broke the clergy’s monopoly, leading to English translations of the Bible, promoting lay literacy, and allowing the English language to be used in religious practices.
What notable invention led to new English terminology during this period?
The invention of the water closet, or flush toilet, by Sir John Harington, introduced new words and terms, reflecting England’s spirit of innovation.
What was the “Inkhorn Controversy” in Early Modern English?
The Inkhorn Controversy was a debate over “Inkhorn terms,” or Latinate, sophisticated words introduced to enrich English. Proponents argued these terms enhanced English, while purists saw them as pretentious and obscure.
Who were the purists, and what was their stance in the Inkhorn Controversy?
Purists argued against Inkhorn terms, advocating for native English alternatives to avoid creating obscure and overly academic vocabulary.
Can you give examples of English words suggested by purists during the Inkhorn Controversy?
Some suggestions included “mooned” (for lunatic), “foresayer” (for prophet), “crossed” (for crucified), and “gainrising” (for resurrection).
Name a few Inkhorn terms introduced during the Early Modern English period.
Terms like honorificabilitudinitatibus (honorable), temulent (drunk), adminiculation (aid), and nullifidian (atheist) emerged as part of the Inkhorn Controversy.
List some “Inkhorn” nouns that became part of English vocabulary.
Name some adjectives that were coined during the Early Modern period as Inkhorn terms.
Which verbs were introduced during the Inkhorn period and became common in English?
Nouns: anachronism, atmosphere, autograph, denunciation, jurisprudence, emanation, and disability.
Adjectives: agile, appropriate, conspicuous, dexterous, habitual, hereditary, impersonal, and malignant.
Verbs: adapt, alienate, assassinate, emancipate, excavate, exhilarate, harass, and meditate.
What was the “etymologising movement” in Early Modern English?
What issue arose from respelling words in Early Modern English to reflect Latin roots?
It involved the respelling of words to reflect Latin roots, even if they were already well-established in English, such as debt (from dette), doubt (from doute), and island (Old English iglund, Latin insula).
Respelling created mismatches between spelling and pronunciation, as it introduced silent letters; this was often influenced by the idea that “every letter should be pronounced.”
What is an example of “spelling pronunciation” in Early Modern English?
Words like adventure evolved from the French aventure to reflect the Latin adventura, changing pronunciation to align with the new spelling.
What was William Tyndale’s contribution to English language and literature?
Tyndale introduced memorable phrases in his Bible translations, including “seek and you shall find,” “let there be light,” “the powers that be,” and “the salt of the earth.”
