Category 1
When did the Middle English period begin?
1100 AD
When did the Middle English period end?
1500 AD
What event in 1066 influenced the English language?
The Norman Conquest
What language did the ruling class speak after 1066?
French
Who is the most famous Middle English writer?
Geoffrey Chaucer
What is Chaucer’s most famous work?
The Canterbury Tales
What type of literature was popular in Middle English?
Chivalric romance
What are the three main Middle English dialects?
Northern, Midlands, Southern
What language was used in religious texts?
Latin
What replaced alliteration in Middle English poetry?
Rhyme
What social class does The Canterbury Tales represent?
All classes (nobles, clergy, peasants)
How did Chaucer use satire in The Canterbury Tales?
He criticized corruption in society, especially among clergy and nobility.
Why did French words enter English vocabulary?
Norman rule introduced French influence
What major war helped establish English as the national language?
The Hundred Years’ War
What poem is an example of Middle English alliterative verse?
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Why was Piers Plowman an important Middle English text?
It criticized corruption and social inequality.
How did Middle English differ from Old English?
Simplified grammar and more French words
Why was The Canterbury Tales unique for its time?
It used everyday language and humor
How did the printing press impact Middle English?
Standardized spelling and grammar
What role did religion play in Middle English literature?
Inspired morality plays and religious texts
What would English look like today without the Norman Conquest?
More Germanic, fewer French words
Did Chaucer’s writing help shape modern English? Why?
Yes, he wrote in the London dialect, which became standard
How did Middle English literature reflect feudal society?
Nobles in romances, clergy in religious texts, peasants in folk tales
Why was William Caxton’s printing press important?
Spread English literature widely
Where we can still see Middle English influences in modern English?
In vocabulary, spelling, and storytelling