Long-Vowel Shifts in English, C.1050-1700: Evidence from Spelling

The English language has undergone many sound changes in its long history. Some of these changes had a profound effect on the pronunciation of the language. A number of these significant instances of language evolution are generally grouped together and termed the 'Great Vowel Shift'. These changes are generally considered to be unrelated to other, similar long-vowel changes taking place a little earlier. This book assesses an extensive range of irregular Middle English spellings for all these changes, with a view to identifying the real course of events: the dates, the chronology, and the dialects that stand out as being innovative. Using empirical evidence to offer a fresh perspective and drawing new, convincing conclusions, Stenbrenden offers an interpretation of the history of the English language which may change our view of sound change completely.

Author: Gjertrud Flermoen Stenbrenden
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 01/24/2019
Pages: 360
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.07lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.75d
ISBN: 9781107677517

About the Author
Stenbrenden, Gjertrud Flermoen: - Gjertrud Flermoen Stenbrenden is Associate Professor of English Language at Universitetet i Oslo.