Transcript Slide 1

Comunicación y Gerencia
Middle English
and The
Canterbury Tales
Middle English
• Middle English is the name given by
historical linguistics to the forms of the
English Language spoken between the Norman
invasion of 1066 and the mid-to-late 15th
century, when the Chancery Standard, a form
of London-based English, began to become
widespread, a process aided by the
introduction of the printing press into England
by William Caxton in the 1470s.
The Great Vowel Shift
The Great Vowel Shift was a major change in the
pronunciation of the English language, generally
accomplished in the fifteenth century, although
evidence suggests it began as early as the fourteenth
century. The shift continued for some time into the
sixteenth century, spreading toward the nonmetropolitan and non-port areas. It represented a
change in the long vowels (i.e., a vowel shift).
How did it change, exactly?
EXAMPLES:
The vowel in the English word make was
originally pronounced similar to Modern
English father, the vowel in feet was originally
a long Latin-like "e" sound; the vowel in mice
was originally what the vowel in feet is now;
the vowel in boot was originally a long Latinlike o sound; and the vowel in mouse was
originally what the vowel in moose is now.
Phonetic Pronunciation of the Middle Ages
The General Prologue
Individual syllables are separated by hyphens (AH-preel)
Accented syllables are in uppercase
letters (PEAR-sed)
wahn thaht AH-preel wheht hehs SHOR-es SOOH-tuh
tha DROOH-tuh ahf MAR-cha hahth PEAR-sed toe thah RROOH-tah
AHN-da BAH-thed ah-vri veen ehn sweech lee-COUR
ahf wheech VEHR-too ehn-GEHN-dred ehs tha floohr
whan ZEH-frihs ehk wheht hehs SWEH-teh BREH-thuh
in -SPEER-ehd hath ahn ehvry hoht AHN-da hehth tha TAHND-ruh
CROHP-pes
AHN-da tha YOH-nga SOH-na hahth in tha rahm hehs hahf cours eeROHN-nuh
AHN-da SMAH-luh FOO-les MAHCK-en meh-lo-DI-ah
thaht SLEHP-ehn all tha NEEK-tuh wheht Oh-pen EE-yuh
soh PRICK-eth hehm nah-CHOOHR en hehr cor-AH-jez
THAH-nuh LONG-en fohlk toe goh ahn pill-grah-MAH-jez!
CA State Standards
• Reading Comprehension
– By grade twelve, students read two million words
annually on their own, including a wide variety of
classic and contemporary literature, magazines,
newspapers, and online information. In grades 9
and 10, students make substantial progress toward
this goal.
– Generate relevant questions about readings on
issues that can be researched.
CA State Standards
• Literary Response and Analysis
– Determine Characters’ traits by what the
characters say about themselves in narration,
dialogue, dramatic monologue and soliloquy
– Interpret and evaluate the impact of
ambiguities, subtleties, contradictions,
ironies, and incongruities in a text.